Brenna McAllister U0740798

Position Paper 3 February 24, 2014

Violence and aggression are ever-present problems in 21st century society, and this
violence is reflected in sports, from applauded tackling in peewee football to the hard hits
celebrated in the Superbowl. Many experts are concerned that sports encourage and
normalize violence (Endresen & Olweus, 2005), and although it is true that contact sports
can promote and increase violence, they can just as readily discourage and decrease
violence. The differing outcomes depend on how these sports are taught to participants;
sports that are taught in the context of self esteem and self-control are shown to decrease
aggression, while sports that are lacking this critical component increase aggression
(Trulson, 1986).
Numerous studies claim that sports increase aggressiveness, especially high contact
sports like boxing, football, and hockey (Endresen & Olweus, 2005; Schneider & Eitzen,
1983). Hughes and Coakley offer a possible explanation of why this may be, stating that the
structure of sports teams portrays violence as being virtuous (1978). The application of
this explanation is easy to understand- a football team is losing an important game, and the
winning teams running back is getting 8 yards per carry. A linebacker lays an excessively
hard hit on the running back, resulting in the running back being injured and removed from
the game. This linebackers aggression gave his team an advantage at the expense of
another player, and the linebacker returns to his sideline a hero. This problem is only
amplified at higher levels of competition. For example, the New Orleans Saints defensive
coordinator, Gregg Williams, offered bounties to the 2011 Saints for injuring opposing
players. Excessive violence has become a means to gain a competitive edge over an
opponent, and the reward for such violence is often victory. In this sense, sports can
encourage violence.
However, sports can also encourage self-restraint and respect for opponents, and
lessen aggression in participants. Participation in sports has been shown to increase a
childs self esteem (Slutzky & Simpkins, 2009), and children with higher self esteems are
found to be less involved both in being bullied and in bullying (Tilindiene & Gailiuniene,
2013). Sports also provide a healthy outlet for stress and anger, and give children the
opportunity to let out energy in a productive way. Children learn how to control their
aggression through sports, and they learn appropriate ways to release that aggression.
There is evidence that sports increase violence, but there is also evidence that they
decrease violence. This contradiction can be explained through an examination of the
methods behind teaching sports.
When taught in the context of self-control and self-esteem, sports decrease
aggression. In 1986, Trulson conducted a study involving 3 groups of juvenile delinquents
and tae kwon do. The first group was taught traditional tae kwon do, which emphasized
the philosophical components associated with traditional martial arts (harmony with the
universe, self-control, etc). The second group was taught modern tae kwon do, without the
philosophical components. The third group was not taught any form of tae kwon do.
Expectedly, the control group had no change in their levels of aggression. More
surprisingly, the modern tae kwon do group was significantly more aggressive than before
starting classes and the traditional tae kwon do group was significantly less aggressive
than before starting classes. This data explains the contradiction of violence in sports.
When taught with emphasis on self-control, sports discourage violence. When no self-
control component is associated with participation in a sport, violence and aggression can
be encouraged.
This information is hugely valuable in its application for future community
recreation managers. After school programs could take advantage of this information by
implementing a boxing program, emphasizing principles of self-control and self-respect
into all training. Wright, Malekoff, Salmon and Steinberg (2006) published a resource for
establishing such a program. They list the Ten Attributes of Effective Boxing Groups, which
include providing group members with a new identity, promoting and offering safety,
providing discipline, improving impulse control and patience, teaching commitment and
offering meaning, teaching and providing respect, and relieving stress. If done correctly by
following the guidelines given by Wright et al., a boxing group could become an invaluable
resource to at risk youth in a recreation program.
The easiest way to establish such a program would be to develop a partnership with
a boxing gym that possesses the above listed attributes. If such a partnership could be
developed, some sort of arrangement could be made to make the deal beneficial for both
parties. For example, in return for training, participants could take on janitorial jobs at the
gym, advanced participants could start teaching lessons, and the community recreation
agency could advertise for events held at the boxing gym. Once a strong partnership was
established, violent or aggressive youth from the recreation program could learn the
physical skills of boxing and the philosophical ideals behind the fighting, and slowly that
youths aggression could be channeled into a productive activity.



Works Cited:
Endresen, I. M., & Olweus, D. (2005). Participation in power sports and antisocial
involvement in preadolescent and adolescent boys. Journal Of Child Psychology &
Psychiatry, 46(5), 468-478. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.00414.x

Hughes, R. H., & Coakley, J. J. (1978). Player violence and the social organization of contact
sport. / L ' agressivite du joueur et l ' organisation sociale du sport de contact. Journal Of
Sport Behavior, 1(4), 155-168.

Nosanchuk, T.A., (1981), The Way of the Warrior: The Effects of Traditional Martial Arts
Training on Aggressiveness. Human Relations, 34 (6), 435-444.

Philosophy of Taekwondo. Retrieved from
http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/philosophy-of-taekwondo.html.

Schneider, J. J., & Eitzen, D. S. (1983). The structure of sport and participant violence. /
Structure du sport et violence des participants. Arena Review, 7(3), 1-16.

Slutzky, C. B., & Simpkins, S. D. (2009). The link between children's sport participation and
self-esteem: Exploring the mediating role of sport self-concept. Psychology Of Sport &
Exercise, 10(3), 381-389. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2008.09.006

The Nature of Taekwondo. Retrieved from http://www.koreataekwondo.org/.

Tilindien, I., & Gailinien, P. (2013). RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-CONFIDENCE AND
BULLYING AMONG ATHLETES AND NON-ATHLETES ADOLESCENTS. / KAUNO MIESTO
SPORTUOJANI IR NESPORTUOJANI PAAUGLI PASITIKJIMO SAVIMI IR PATYI
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Trulson, M.E., (1986). Martial Arts Training: A Novel Cure for Juvenile Delinquency.
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Wright, W., Malekoff, A., Salmon, R., & Steinberg, D. (2006). Keep It in the Ring: Using
Boxing in Social Group Work with High-Risk and Offender Youth to Reduce
Violence. Social Work With Groups, 29(2/3), 149-174. doi:10.1300/J009v29n0211

Zivin, G., Hassan, N.R., DePaula, G.F., Monti, D.A., Harlan, C., Hossain, K.D., & Patterson, K.
(2001). An effective approach to violence prevention: traditional martial arts in middle
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