NCJ Number
212347
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 483-492
Date Published
October 2005
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether and how extracurricular activities may be linked to violent behavior by rural youth.
Abstract
A total of 235 teens from a southeastern rural, ethnically diverse Virginia community were analyzed. Data were obtained from a larger study entitled the Virginia Adolescent Resiliency Assessment. All students in grades 8-12 were invited to participate in the larger study. Participants in the current study included 235 of a possible 332 youth. Measures were adapted from the 1998 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Variables measured were weapon carrying, physical fighting, and extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities were categorized as nonschool clubs, volunteer activities, and church or other religious activities. The survey was conducted in December 1999. Correlations revealed a significant inverse relationship between church activity and weapon carrying. Time in nonschool clubs was the best predictor of fighting frequency for boys; and time in nonschool clubs and in religious activities were the best predictors of weapon carrying for boys. Time in extracurricular activities, time spent in volunteer activities, exercise frequency, and number of sport team membership were significant predictors of fighting frequency for girls. None of the extracurricular activity variables were predictive of female weapon carrying. Findings indicate that various types of extracurricular activities are predictive of violent activity. This suggests that parents should monitor the activities in which their children are involved in terms of the other children participating in the activity, the leaders of the activities, and what actually occurs during the activity period. 6 tables and 37 references