Adolescents' Participation in Sport Activities and Attachment to Parents and Peers

Abstract

We examined the relationship between adolescents' participation in sport activities and their parent and peer attachment, using a quantitative cross-sectional design. Adolescents (1,348; 716 girls and 632 boys) aged 12 to 16 years completed a survey assessing parent and peer attachment in terms of trust, communication, and alienation. Results showed that adolescents not participating in sport scored significantly lower than adolescent athletes on parent attachment, and that involvement in sport activities was important as a factor determining the quality of parent–adolescent relationships. Conversely, adolescents' involvement in competitive sport had no effect on their peer attachment, which indicates that a close relationship with other sport participants does not predict greater peer attachment.