Adult Negative Spectator Behavior at Youth Sporting Events

Abstract

Due to its competitive nature, youth sports may provide an environment that invites the display of negative parenting behavior and exposes children to adults outside of their own household. This study aimed to quantify the frequency of negative parent and spectator behavior at youth sporting events and compare incidences across different sports and age ranges. Investigators attended baseball, basketball, soccer, and football events in Central Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi for children ages 6 to 10 years. Recorded spectator behaviors included alcohol use, smoking, swearing, and negative language (such as threats and violent language). Negative behaviors were reported at a majority (68%) of events. The 95% confidence intervals of the means (95% CIM) for all negative behaviors observed were overlapping, and we were not able to demonstrate statistically significant differences between the 4 sports. The lack of significance between sports may be due to the younger-player-age group, small sample size, and time of events.