NCJ Number
209618
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 123-136
Date Published
April 2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the gender and race relationships among two dimensions of athletic involvement, dating and sexual risk-taking in a longitudinal sample of adolescents in New York.
Abstract
Even though studies indicate an overall decline in adolescent sexual activity over the past decade, sexual risk-taking remains a substantial danger to youth in the United States. Research has also identified adolescent athletic participation as a promising avenue for promoting sexual responsible behavior, particularly among girls. Using a longitudinal sample of over 600 western New York adolescents, this study examined the gender- and race-specific relationships between “jock” identity and adolescent sexual risk-taking. The study controlled for age, socioeconomic status, family cohesion, dating behavior, and athletic activity. The study tested three hypotheses: (1) male jocks would date more often than male nonjocks; (2) male jocks would engage in more sexual risk-taking than male nonjocks; and (3) African-American jocks would engage in more sexual risk-taking than African-American nonjocks. Study results indicate that for both genders, athletic activity is associated with lower levels of sexual risk-taking. However, jock identity is associated with higher levels of sexual risk-taking, particularly among African-American adolescents. References