Citation

Taylor MJ, Wamser RA, Welch DZ, Nanney JT. Violence Vict. 2012; 27(3): 434-452.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 631221, USA. taylormatt@umsl.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Springer Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

22852441

Abstract

The purpose of this study that focused on African American high school girls was threefold. First, the relationship of sports participation and victimization was explored. Second, the impact of sports participation on self-esteem was assessed. Third, the role of self-esteem and its disaggregated components (social acceptance, competence, and self-confidence) as mediators of the relationship between sports participation and victimization was examined. In accordance with the sport protection hypothesis, it was hypothesized that sports participation would be related to enhanced self-esteem and reduce victimization. Results suggest that sports participation appears to have some relationship to lower rates of victimization. There was also support for our assertion that sports participation was related to enhanced self-esteem. Finally, overall self-esteem and, specifically, the individual component competence mediated the relationship between sports participation and victimization.

Language: en