The Association Between Participating in Sports and Victimization: Results From a Longitudinal Sample of Males

Although youth are often encouraged to participate in organized sports, there is a line of research indicating that adolescent athletes are at-risk for a range of negative outcomes. One area of research that has produced somewhat conflicting evidence, however, focuses on the nexus between adolescent sports participation and victimization. The current study sought to add to the literature on this topic by examining whether involvement in four sports (baseball, basketball, football, and wrestling) was associated with victimization in adolescence and early adulthood. Analysis of males from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) revealed consistently null associations between participating in sports and multiple measures of victimization drawn from self-reports in adolescence and adulthood. These findings suggest that males who participate in sports in adolescence do not differentially experience victimization.