NCJ Number
164785
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1996) Pages: 31-37
Date Published
1996
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This report of an Australian study confirms the deficit that at-risk youth experience in sports and recreational activity, and it suggests some ways of overcoming this disadvantage.
Abstract
Studies that have examined the effects of participation in sports and recreation as an intervention for at-risk youth have found positive benefits for such activities; however, there is some evidence that at-risk youth are disproportionately uninvolved in these activities. This study examines whether or not this is so. Two groups of participants were selected. The first was composed of at-risk youth who had come into contact with the Stepping Out outreach youth-work program. Stepping Out targets youth aged 12-18 years, who are considered at risk due to factors such as homelessness, drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and criminal history. Initially, 32 at-risk participants were interviewed. The second group of participants were students from two Perth metropolitan secondary schools. Thirty-two students from each school completed questionnaires. The first part of the study, which was concerned only with the at-risk participants, was descriptive and aimed to portray the recreational patterns of this group, their knowledge of sports and recreational facilities, their perceived barriers to participation, their dropping out of organized sports, the activities in which they would like to participate, and how they could be encouraged to participate in sports or recreation. The second part of the study compared the participation in sports and recreation between the two groups. The results of the comparison between the two groups showed a significant difference in the average number of hours participating in sports and recreation per week, the amount of sports activities participated in over the last year, and the amount of recreational activities participated in over the last year. These results confirm the hypothesis that at-risk youth participate in less sports and recreation than youth who are attending school. There are factors that should be taken into account in efforts to increase the participation of at-risk youth in sports and recreation. Such activities should be inexpensive, strategically located or easily accessed by public transportation, emphasize fun rather than competition, include exciting or perceived high-risk activities, and not be overly structured. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 7 references