The Impact of School Sport Club on Students Violent Inclinations

Abstract

Background:Various educational attempts have been made recently to reduce violent inclinations in school-age adolescents. This study aimed to investigate changes in students’ inclinations for violence after participating in a sports club program. Method: Students (n=40) from a middle school located in an urban area of South Korea participated in this study. In the experimental group, researchers enrolled students who had experienced bullying at school and had lower academic records than the average student, and they participated in the 16-week sports club program. In contrast, students in the control group were completely separated from the experimental group and did not participate in the sports club program. Researchers collected data related to changes in participating students’ violence inclinations using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Children's Color Trails Test, Stroop Test, Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, ADHD Diagnostic System, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Results: Violent inclinations and the psychological-intellectual conditions of the students who participated in the sports club program changed significantly at p=0.01 level; in contrast, the differences between the pre- and post-measurements of the control group students were not significant. Conclusion: Sports clubs have a positive impact on students’ affective abilities regarding changes in their psychological situations.