Lifestyle and juvenile antisocial behaviors in Italy: can sports prevent juvenile delinquency? Results from the International Self-Report Delinquency Study-3 (ISRD-3)

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study is to improve knowledge about risk factors and protective factors connected to juvenile delinquency behavior, with reference to the relationship between sports participation and lifestyle.
Method. The study analyzes the data collected by a questionnaire “ISRD- 3”, administered to an Italian sample of 3508 young students from 7th to 9th grade. The students live in Brescia, Florence, Genoa, Lecce, Messina, Naples, Siena and Milan. Specifically, the authors analyze the relationship among the answers about the relationship with parents, how young people spend their free time, self-reported delinquency behaviors, with respect to playing sports or not.
Results. In this study students who play sports have a good relationship with their parents, feel supported by them, and when they disappoint them feel very bad. Compared to free time, those who participate in sports more often have a group of friends to go out with, are part of creative activities (music, theatre, reading books), do homework, stay away from fights. Playing sports is a protective factor compared to fights, illegally downloading film and music, use and selling drugs.
Conclusions. Playing sports seems to prevent antisocial behavior. However, lifestyles and socio-demographic characteristics of young sportsmen let hypothesize the presence of other protective factors com-pared to juvenile delinquency.