Sport – a protective factor in facing the risky behavior of children and youth

Tijekom mjeseca svibnja 2006. godine u Opatiji je provedeno istraživanje u kojem je sudjelovalo 585 ispitanika i to 203 sportaša (35 %), 255 povremenih sportaša (43 %) i 127 nesportaša (22 %) u dobi od 10 do 19 godina, odnosno učenika od 4. do 8. razreda osnovne škole i srednjoškolaca. Svrha istraživanja bila je produbiti spoznaje o postojanju ili nepostojanju povezanosti između bavljenja sportom i rizičnih ponašanja djece i mladih. Postavljene su četiri hipoteze: H1. Djeca i mladi koji se organizirano bave sportom manje su skloni nasilju od djece i mladih koji se sportom ne bave organizirano ili se sportom uopće ne bave. H2. Djeca i mladi koji se organizirano bave sportom manje konzumiraju legalna i ilegalna psihoaktivna sredstva od djece i mladih koji se sportom ne bave organizirano ili se sportom uopće ne bave. H3. Djeca i mladi koji se organizirano bave sportom odgovorniji su prema svom zdravlju od djece i mladih koji se sportom ne bave organizirano ili se sportom uopće ne bave. H4. Djeca i mladi koji se organizirano bave sportom manje su skloni rizičnim oblicima ponašanja od djece i mladih koji se sportom ne bave organizirano ili se sportom uopće ne bave. U skupinama ispitanika dobivene su različite korelacije između rizičnih ponašanja; na uzorku sportaša jedina značajna korelacija je ona između seksualnog ponašanja i ovisnosti (,373). Kod povremenih sportaša dobivene su pozitivne korelacije između nasilja i ovisnosti (,135), nasilja i seksualnih ponašanja (,147), te stvarna značajna povezanost ovisnosti i seksualnih ponašanja (,442), a u skupini nesportaša rizično seksualno ponašanje i ovisnost stvarno su značajno pozitivno povezani (,454), seksualno ponašanje i prehrana negativno (-,169), a ovisnost i prehrana također negativno (-,213). Sportaši jesu manje nasilni i značajno manje koriste sredstva ovisnosti od povremenih sportaša i nesportaša. Kada se kontroliraju učinci sociodemografskih varijabli kao što su spol, dob i materijalni status, bavljenje/nebavljenje sportom ima statistički značajne učinke na većinu ispitivanih rizičnih ponašanja.The research was carried out in May 2006 in Opatija on a sample of 585 participants – 203 sportspersons (35%), 255 occasional sportspersons (43%) and 127 non-sportspersons (22%) aged 10-19, i.e. pupils of elementary school grade 4 to 8 and high school students. The goal of the research was to deepen the understanding of the existence or non-existence of a connection between going in for sports and risky behavior of children and youth. Four hypotheses have been put forward: H1. Children and youth who engage in organized sports activities are less prone to violence than children and youth who do not engage in organized sports activities or do not do sport at all. H2. Children and youth who engage in organized sports activities take in less legal and illegal psychoactive substances than children and youth who do not engage in organized sports activities or do not do sport at all. H3. Children and youth who engage in organized sports activities are more responsible towards their health than children and youth who do not engage in organized sport activities or do not do sport at all. H4. Children and youth who engage in organized sports activities are less prone to risky forms of behavior than children and youth who do not engage in organized sports activities or do not do sport at all. In the various participants\u27 groups, diff erent correlations were found between risky behaviors. In the sportspersons sample, the only statistically signifi cant correlation was between sexual behavior and addiction (,373). In the occasional sportsperson group, positive correlations were found between violence and addiction (,135), violence and sexual behavior (,147), and a really signifi cant connection of addiction and sexual behavior (,442). In the non-sportsperson group, sexual behavior and addiction were really signifi cantly positively correlated (,454), sexual behavior and nutrition negatively (-,169), as well as addiction and nutrition (-,213). Sportspersons are less violent and use signifi cantly less addictive substances than occasional sportspersons and non-sportspersons. When socio-demographic variables such as gender, age and material status are controlled, (non) going in for sports has statistically signifi cant eff ects on the majority of risky behaviors examined in the research