High School Sports Involvement Diminishes the Association Between Childhood Conduct Disorder and Adult Antisocial Behavior.
OBJECTIVE
Life course-persistent antisocial behavior manifests as a display of aggressive and antisocial behavior beginning in childhood (conduct disorder [CD]) and lasting through adulthood (adult antisocial personality disorder). This study aimed to build on prior research by evaluating whether involvement in high school sports helped attenuate the association between CD and subsequent adult antisocial behavior (AAB).


METHODS
A prospective sample of 967 male and female adolescents (56% adopted) was used. Structured interviews were used to assess CD (symptoms before the age of 15 years), involvement in sports during high school, and past-year adult antisocial personality disorder symptoms in young adulthood (M age = 22.4 years).


RESULTS
As expected, the association between CD and AAB was significantly less for those involved in sports (β = .28; p < .001) compared with those not involved in sports (β = .49; p < .001), χ(2)(1) = 4.13; p = .04. This difference remained after including known covariates of antisocial behavior in the model (age, gender, adoption status), and results were consistent across males and females. Involvement in other extracurricular activities (e.g., student government, plays, clubs) did not significantly moderate the relationship between CD and AAB.


CONCLUSIONS
Although selection effects were evident (those with more CD symptoms were less likely to be involved in sports), findings nevertheless suggest high school sports involvement may be a notable factor related to disrupting persistent antisocial behavior beginning in childhood and adolescence and lasting through young adulthood. Implications are discussed.
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. Electronic address: di.samek@gmail.com.
Diana R
DR
Samek
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Irene J
IJ
Elkins
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Margaret A
MA
Keyes
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
William G
WG
Iacono
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Matt
M
McGue
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013178:Sports Medicine; D055815:Young Adult
Antisocial behavior; Conduct disorder; Extracurricular activities; Sports