sustainability

Article
Effects of Sports Activity on Sustainable Social
Environment and Juvenile Aggression
Younyoung Lee 1 and Seijun Lim 2, *
1 Department of Police Science, Seoul Digital University, 424, Gonghang-daero, Gangseo-gu,
Seoul 07654, Korea; [email protected]
2 College of Physical Education, KyungHee University, 1732, Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu,
Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 10315, Korea
* Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +82-10-5758-8898




Received: 23 March 2019; Accepted: 9 April 2019; Published: 16 April 2019


Abstract: It is believed that sports, as a social institution, are one of the most critical extracurricular
activities for adolescent as they teach the rules and disciplines. However, the effects of sports
participation on adolescent development are still controversial at the level of theoretical and empirical
perspectives in sociology and psychology. For this reason, this study focused on the causal relationships
among sports activity, social and environmental factors, and juvenile aggression based on empirical
research to examine the effects of sports on adolescents. For this purpose, this research used the
Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) which surveyed 2378 adolescents by multi-stage
stratified cluster sampling from 98 schools across South Korea. The data was analyzed by reliability
analysis, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and path analysis
with SPSS ver. 23.0 program for Windows. The results were as follows: Firstly, sports activity had a
statistically significant effect on the sustainable social environmental factors, and teacher and friend
relationships. Secondly, it was found that sustainable social environment had a statistically significant
effect on juvenile aggression toward others and oneself. Lastly, sports activity also showed an indirect
effect on juvenile aggression toward others and oneself. This means that sports activity affects juvenile
aggression through a sustainable social environment. In detail, more sports activity could positively
improve one’s relationships with teachers and friends and then reduce aggression toward both others
and oneself.

Keywords: juvenile aggression; stainable social environment; sports activity

1. Introduction
Society has undergone a rapid change in which adolescents are have increasingly suffered from
balancing development and social adaptation. As a result of these difficulties, juvenile aggression is
becoming a severe social problem [1,2]. Juvenile aggression is a complex multifactorial phenomenon
with risk factors in the individual, family, social, and the community/society domains [3,4]. More
recently, youth policymakers have become interested in the use of sports in aggression prevention
programs. Sports-based interventions are perceived as low-cost and non-stigmatizing programs
that positively influence youth development [5–7]. Nowadays, local governments and institutions
all over the world are offering youth sports activities to prevent juvenile aggression [8,9]. Also,
sports participation and the development of adolescents are the main research topics in sociology and
psychology because they are strongly related to socialization in schools. Sport is a fundamental social
component of politics, economy, and culture. Additionally, physical activity as sports in a similar
vein is now growing as an important factor in the prevention of health and psychological problems.
For this reason, the educational function of sports is increasingly important about decreasing juvenile

Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279; doi:10.3390/su11082279 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 2 of 10

delinquency, and the positive and negative effect of sports has been studied intensively. As Feldman
and Matjasko argued, sports are among the most popular extracurricular activities [10]. The issue of
socialization through sports is subject to emerge as the social and educational aspect.
However, despite the significant role of sports in the development of adolescents in the field of
school education, little is known about the relationship between sports participation and juvenile
aggression. According to most prior researches about the function of sports, it can be said generally
that sports might be an effective way for adolescents to be positively involved in school as carrying out
the role of social control [11,12]. In this context, Mutz and Baur quoted that sports participation might
help in preventing adolescents from aggression and violence [13]. It means that well-programed sports
participation helps not only academic knowledge and sociability, but also physical, personal, and
cultural development which is needed for social adaptation. From this perspective, sports is accepted
as a necessary social factor.
Another theory focusing on the social domain of juvenile aggression is the sustainable social
environment theory, which has dealt with relationships with teachers and friends. The higher the
attachment to friends and teachers, the better students adapt to school [14]. The positive relationships
with teachers and friends influence the overall behavior of adolescents including cognitive and
emotional aspects [15–17]. Therefore, it is expected that the relationships with teachers and friends
are an essential factor influencing juvenile aggression. Based on these assumptions, this study
aims to examine the causal relationships between sports activity, sustainable social environment
factor, adolescent relationships with teachers and friends at school, and aggression as a kind of
antisocial behavior.
The following are the questions guiding this study:

1. Are there significant causal relationships between sports activity, sustainable social environment
factors (relationships with teachers and friends), and juvenile aggression (toward others and
oneself)?
2. Is there a mediating effect of sustainable social environment factor (relationships with teachers
and friends) between sports activity and juvenile aggression (toward others and oneself)?

2. Materials and Method

2.1. Participants
This research used data from the Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) by National
Children & Youth Policy Institute (Sejong-si, Korea), which was conducted for seven years from 2010
to 2016 with a longitudinal design for fourth-year students in elementary school. The 2016 (6th wave)
data from the third-year students in middle school were used in this study. From the sixth wave data,
2378 adolescents from the third year of middle school were selected by multistage stratified cluster
sampling from 98 schools across South Korea, and the national survey was conducted face-to-face
by interviewers from October to December in 2015 [18]. The detailed information about participants
can be seen in Table 1, and socioeconomic backgrounds were used as control variables for this study.
The proportion of boys (1091, 52.9%) and girls (970, 47.1%) within the study sample was nearly the
same. Regarding the economic level, 62.9% of respondents said they are middle class, and 27.4% of
respondents said that they are high-income class.
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 3 of 10

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for participants.

Category Answer % (n)

Boys 52.9 (1091)
Gender
Girls 47.1 (970)
High-income class 27.4 (565)
Economic level Middle class 62.9 (1296)
Low-income class 8.4 (200)
High school graduation 47.4 (918)
Mother’s education level College graduation 49.8 (966)
Graduate school graduation 2.8 (54)
High school graduation 41.0 (782)
Father’s education level College graduation 53.4 (1019)
Graduate school graduation 5.7 (108)

2.2. Statistical Analysis

Researchers conducted data analyses to investigate the causal relationships between sports activity,
sustainable social environment factors (relationships with teachers and friends), and juvenile aggression
(toward others and oneself). Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability tests, Person’s correlations,
and multiple regressions were performed. To test the mediation role of the relationships with teachers
and friends in the association between sports activity and juvenile aggression, researchers conducted a
path analysis by using SPSS version 23.0 program.

2.3. Variable Measure

All the measures used in this study were based on an individual interview investigation with a
self-reported scale. The final collected data were investigated between October and December 2016.

2.3.1. Control Variable

In this study, control variables were height, weight, economic level, and parents’ educational level
as the socioeconomic status. The economic level was measured by household income during the past
one year from the date of investigation. Each educational level of mother and father was separately
measured by five nominal scales of middle school education, high school education, junior college,
college, and graduate level.

2.3.2. Independent Variable

The involvement of physical education (PE) classes as sports activity were measured by a single
observed item that focused on the respondents’ evaluations of how many hours they were actively
involved in PE classes in a week. Response options originally consisted of 0 to more than 4 h (1 = never,
2 = 1 h, 3 = 2 h, 3 = 4 h, 5 = over 4 h) and this study reversed those responses for analysis (5 = never,
4 = 1 h, 3 = 2 h, 2 = 4 h, 1 = over 4 h). According to the frequency-analyzed results, 16.7% of respondents
answered that they did not exercise hard during PE classes and 18.9% of respondents answered that
they actively participated in PE classes more than 3 h a week.

2.3.3. Mediating Variable

The mediating variable in this study was a sustainable social environment factor which was
estimated by friends relationship with four items and teacher relationship with five items on a 4-point
Likert scale (1 = very untrue, 4 = very true). The questions about friends–self relationship included
“Get along well with classmates,” “Say sorry in advance when I fight with a friend,” “Lend or share
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 4 of 10

my textbook or materials if classmates do not have it” and “My friends follow me when I play or go
group activities with them.” In addition, the questions about teachers–self relationship included “Say
hello warmly when I meet teacher”, “I feel comfortable to talk with my teacher”, “I am glad to meet
my teacher out of school”, “I feel that my teacher is kind to me”, “I hope my homeroom teacher can
teach me next year”.

2.3.4. Dependent Variable

Juvenile aggression as a dependent variable was measured by six items. It consisted of two
sub-variables, toward others and oneself. Measuring the aggression toward others consisted of three
questions: “I sometimes pick on even small thing”, “I sometimes disturb other’s works”, “I nitpick or
run at somebody if they make me preclude what I want” Measuring the aggression toward oneself also
involved three questions: “I sometimes fight due to trivial thing”, “I am sometimes angry all day long”,
“I sometimes cry without any reason”. Response options were measured using a 4-point Likert scale
(1 = strongly agree, 4 = strongly disagree). Table 2 shows the results of factor analysis on the variables.

Table 2. Factor loadings of perceptual scales.

Factor Eigen
Constructs Measurement Items Component CFV
Loadings Value
Get along well with classmates 0.825 0.681
Say sorry in advance when I fight
0.791 0.352 2.233 55.829
with a friend
Friend
Lend or share my textbook or
relationship 0.757 0.626
materials if classmates do not have it
My friends follow me when I play or
0.594 0.573
go group activities with them
Say hello warmly when I meet
0.85 0.581
the teacher
I feel comfortable to talk with
0.839 0.705 3.321 66.417
Teacher my teacher
relationship I am glad to meet my teacher out
0.812 0.723
of school
I feel that my teacher is kind to me 0.808 0.66
I hope my homeroom teacher can
0.762 0.653
teach me next year
I sometimes pick on even small things 0.818 0.672
Aggression I sometimes disturb other’s works 0.794 0.688 3.088 51.461
toward others I nitpick or run at somebody if he
0.762 0.631
makes me preclude what I want
I sometimes fight due to trivial thing 0.849 0.618
Aggression
I am sometimes angry all day long 0.826 0.753 1.002 68.165
toward self
I sometimes cry without any reason 0.62 0.726

3. Results

3.1. Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistical analysis for this study and response category for each variable are provided
in Table 3. The mean of the sum for sports activity was 2.86 (SD = 1.39). The mean of the sum for
the friend relationship was 7.32 (SD = 1.74), and the teacher relationship was 9.80 (SD = 2.98) for
the sustainable social environment. The mean aggression toward others was 8.90 (SD = 1.89), and
aggression toward self was 9.50 (SD = 1.83) for juvenile aggression.
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 5 of 10

Table 3. Descriptive statistics for demographic variables.

Variables Range Mean SD Cronbach’s α

Sports Activity 1–5 2.86 1.39 1 item
Friend relationship 4–16 7.32 1.74 0.722/4 items
Teacher relationship 5–20 9.80 2.98 0.871/5 items
Aggression toward others 3–12 8.90 1.89 0.759/3 items
Aggression toward self 3–12 9.50 1.83 0.752/3 items

3.2. The Correlation for Sports Activity, Sustainable Social Environment, and Juvenile Aggression
Researchers analyzed the correlation among the independent, dependent, and mediation variables
to examine whether there were significant relationships among variables. The results showed that the
variables were statistically related as shown in Table 4. Friend relationship was positively correlated
(r = 0.512, p < 0.001) to teacher relationship and (r = 0.148, p < 0.001) to sports activity. However, it was
negatively correlated to (r = −354, p < 0.001) aggression toward others and (r = −0.328, p < 0.001) self.
Teacher relationship was positively associated with sports activity (r = 0.133, p < 0.001) but negatively
related to aggression toward others (r = 0.190, p < 0.001) and self (r = −0.153, p < 0.001). Sports activity
was negatively related (r = −0.059, p < 0.05) to aggression toward self. Moreover, aggression toward
others was positively correlated (r = 0.527, p < 0.001) to aggression toward self.

Table 4. Correlation analysis.

FR TR SA TO TS
Friends relationship (FR) 1 0.512 *** 0.148 *** −354 *** −0.328 ***
Teacher relationship (TR) 1 0.133 *** −0.190 *** −0.153 ***
Sports Activity (SA) −0.033 −0.059 *
1
Aggression Toward others (TO) 1 0.527 ***
Aggression Toward self (TS) 1
*** p < 0.001, * p < 0.05.

3.3. Effect of Sports Activity on the Sustainable Social Environment

Table 5 shows each result after the analysis of multiple regressions. In the first analysis,
the researchers tried multiple regressions to examine the influence of sports activity on the friends–self
relationship in Model 1 and teachers–self relationship in Model 2. As a result of this analysis, R2 was
0.038, and F value was 12.225*** in Model 1. More concretely, the researchers found that sports activity
was a significant variable to have a good effect on the friend relationship. Subsequently, multiple
regression analysis was conducted to identify the effects of sports activity on the teacher relationship.
As a result of this analysis, R2 was 0.021, and F value was 6.230*** in Model 2, which shows that sports
activity was a significant variable to positively increase the teacher relationship.
Then, multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the direct effects of sports activity
and the sustainable social environment factors on juvenile aggression. Table 6 presents the results.
As a result of this analysis, it was shown that both teacher and friend relationships were statistically
significant on aggression toward others, and only friend relationship was statistically significant on
aggression toward oneself.
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 6 of 10

Table 5. Multiple regression predicting sustainable social environment factors.

Model 1 Model 2
Variable
B SE β B SE β
Independent Constant 8.171 1.042 10.412 1.818
variable SA 0.214 0.03 0.172 *** 0.265 0.053 0.123 ***
HI −0.005 0 0.032 −0.005 0 −0.009
FE −0.095 0.058 −0.057 −0.046 0.101 0.016
Control variable ME 0.034 0.048 0.04 −0.158 0.108 −0.052
HT 0.005 0.062 0.019 * −0.003 0.012 −0.008
WT 0.007 0.005 0.046 −0.009 0.008 −0.034
Dependent variable Friends relationship Teacher relationship
R2 0.04 0.021
F value 12.225 *** 6.230 ***
*** p < 0.001, * p < 0.05. Note: SA is sports activity; HI is household income; FE is father’s education; ME is mother’s
education; HT is height; WT is weight.

Table 6. Multiple regression predicting aggression factors.

Model 3 Model 4
Variable
B SE β B SE β
Constant 10.578 1.127 7.872 1.068
Independent SA 0.008 0.033 0.006 0.001 0.031 0.001
variable FR −0.222 0.03 −0.205 *** −0.278 0.028 −0.269 ***
TR −0.057 −0.091 −0.091 ** −0.004 0.016 −0.007
HI −0.005 0.016 0.016 −0.006 0 −0.002
FE 0.054 0.03 0.03 0.015 0.058 0.009
Control variable ME −0.003 −0.002 −0.002 0.054 0.062 0.03
HT 0.004 0.521 0.016 0.023 0.007 0.101
WT −0.006 −0.036 −0.036 −0.005 0.005 −0.035
Dependent variable Aggression toward others Aggression toward self
R2 0.073 0.087
F value 17.307 *** 20.810 ***
*** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05. Note: SA is sports activity; FR is friend relationship; TR is teacher relationship;
HI is household income; FE is father’s education; ME is the mother’s education; HT is height; WT is weight.

3.4. Mediating Effect of the Sustainable Social Environment between Sports Activity and Juvenile Aggression
The researchers conducted a path analysis to find the effect of teacher and friend relationships
as mediating variables to the dependent variable (juvenile aggression toward others and oneself),
and direct or indirect effect of sports activity as an independent variable to the dependent variable.
In the first step, sports activity was inserted on a sustainable social environment. In the second step,
sports activity and sustainable social environment were added to juvenile aggression. As a result of
this analysis, it has shown that both teacher and friend relationships were statistically significant as a
mediation effect variable. This indicates that although sports activity did not directly affect aggression,
more sports activity could positively improve the level of teachers–self and friends–self relationships,
then reduce both the aggression toward others and oneself as shown in Figure 1. These results show
that the effects of sports activity on aggressiveness did not appear directly. However, more sports
activity resulted in better friendships and less aggression toward oneself, and better relationships with
the teacher resulted in less aggression toward others.
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 7 of 10
Sustainability 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 10

Figure 1. Path analysis of sports activities and sustainable social environment on aggression. *** p < 0.001,
Figure 1. Path analysis of sports activities and sustainable social environment on aggression.
** p < 0.01
*** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01
4. Discussion
4. Discussion
As a fundamental social factor along with politics, economy, and culture, sports is the most
popularAs aextracurricular
fundamental social factor
activities foralong with politics,
adolescents becauseeconomy, and are
these factors culture, sports
strongly is thetomost
related the
popular extracurricular activities for adolescents because these factors
socialization in schools [19]. For this reason, the importance of the educational function of sportsare strongly related to the
socialization in schools [19]. For this reason, the importance of the educational
activity is increasingly important about decreasing juvenile aggression. However, the function of function of sports
activityactivity
sports is increasingly
in schoolimportant about decreasing
remains controversial, juvenile
and there areaggression.
no consistent However,
answersthe functionthe
to explain of
sports activity in school remains controversial, and there are no consistent
relationship between sports activity and adolescent development in the education field. In such a answers to explain the
relationship
context, between
this study sports activity
attempted and adolescent
to investigate the positive development
and negative in effects
the education
of sportsfield. In such
activity abouta
context,
the school this study attempted
environment to investigate
on juvenile aggression.theFor
positive and negative
this purpose, effects
this study of sports
focused activityactivity
on sports about
the school environment on juvenile aggression. For this purpose, this study focused
and its relationship to sustainable social environment factor caused by a variety of factors, including on sports activity
and its school,
family, relationship to sustainable
community, and so on social
with environment
variables from factor caused by aand
psychological variety
socialoffactors.
factors,This
including
study
family, school, community, and so on with variables from psychological
also examined whether the sustainable social environment served as a mediating effect between and social factors. This study
also examined
sports activity and whether
juvenile theaggression.
sustainableTherefore,
social environment served
this study used as from
data a mediating
the KCYPS, effect between
a survey of
sports activity and juvenile aggression. Therefore, this study used data
2378 adolescents across South Korea. As a result, several noteworthy findings were observed. from the KCYPS, a survey of
2378 Firstly,
adolescents across South
the analysis indicatedKorea. Assports
that a result, several
activity wasnoteworthy
significantly findings
relatedwere observed. social
to sustainable
Firstly, the analysis indicated that sports activity was significantly
environment (teacher and friend relationships). It is shown that with more sports activity, higher related to sustainable social
environment
positive level (teacher
of teacher andand friend relationships).
friends relationshipsIt occurred.
is shown In that withwords,
other more sports
the social activity, higher
necessity of
positive level of teacher and friends relationships occurred. In other words,
sports activity is positive socialization of adolescence which increases teacher and friend relationships.the social necessity of
sports activity is positive socialization of adolescence which increases
It is also supported by research findings that sports activity can be adopted as a policy for adolescents’ teacher and friend
relationships.
adaptation It is also
to school life.supported
Sports canbyprevent
research findings
anomie andthat sports
foster a safeactivity can be for
environment adopted
peopleastoarelease
policy
for adolescents’ adaptation to school life. Sports can prevent anomie and
negative emotions [20,21]. At this point, modern sports was exported worldwide as an integral part of foster a safe environment
for people
the to release
educational systemnegative
[22–24].emotions [20,21].promote
Also, sports At this point, modern
traditional sports
values and was exported
societal worldwide
arrangements
as an integral
because they help parttoof the educational
maintain system [22–24].
societal integration [25–28]. Also,
From sports promote traditional
this perspective, sports canvaluesbe used and
to
societal
solve arrangements
adolescents’ because
emotional they help
problems, to maintain
including societal
aggression, integration
according to this[25 – 28]. From
empirical this
evidence
pointing to the positive aspects of sports participation related to the sustainable
perspective, sports can be used to solve adolescents’ emotional problems, including aggression, social environment.
Secondly,
according theempirical
to this analysis evidence
indicatedpointing
that the teachers–self
to the positiverelationship has a mediating
aspects of sports participationinfluence
relatedonto
aggression toward
the sustainable others.
social These results show that the role of teachers in schools is essential to ensure
environment.
psychological
Secondly,growth for adolescents.
the analysis Thisthe
indicated that result is supported
teachers–self by findings
relationship hastoa suggest
mediating that it could on
influence be
possible to reduce
aggression towardthe behavioral
others. problem
These results likethat
show juvenile aggression
the role (toward
of teachers others
in schools is and oneself)
essential when
to ensure
apsychological
student has agrowth
positive
forrelationship
adolescents.with
Thisaresult
teacher [29]. In other
is supported words, ittoissuggest
by findings important
that to develop
it could be
positive
possible teachers–self
to reduce the relationships to intervene
behavioral problem effectively.
like juvenile Thus, (toward
aggression the policy maker,
others andschool
oneself)officials,
when
teachers,
a studentand
hasschool counselors
a positive should
relationship findavarious
with teacherways
[29]. to
In improve teachers–self
other words, relationships.
it is important to develop
positive teachers–self relationships to intervene effectively. Thus, the policy maker, school officials,
teachers, and school counselors should find various ways to improve teachers–self relationships.
Sustainability 2019, 11, 2279 8 of 10

Lastly, this study statistically verified that the mediating effect of friends–self relationship on
aggression toward oneself was identified. The friend relationship was found to be effective in reducing
aggression toward oneself. These findings partially support other studies that suggest adolescents
with experiences of being ignored or rejected by peers are more anxious and more aggressive than
adolescents who do not [30,31]. In other words, schools become the center of adolescents’ lives, and
they spend most of the time with their peers because of the social environment characteristics of
adolescents. For these reasons, the development of programs that facilitate interactions with peer
groups and provide positive feedback is also necessary.
Despite the practical implications of this study, there are some limitations of this study that need
to be addressed. First, the lack of control over the environment in which the participants completed
the survey may have affected the findings of this study. Second, the effects of sports activity on
the sustainable social environment factors and juvenile aggression (toward others and oneself) were
identified. However, this study was more focused on school situation factors. Thus, future research
with longitudinal designs should focus on contextual factors to understand mechanisms that contribute
to positive developmental outcomes in adolescents.

5. Conclusions
This study aimed to assess the causal relationships between sports activity, social and
environmental factors, and juvenile aggression based on empirical research to examine the effects of
sports on adolescents. This research used the Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) which
surveyed 2378 adolescents by multistage stratified cluster sampling from 98 schools across South Korea.
Socioeconomic backgrounds were used as control variables for this study. The proportion of boys (1091,
52.9%) and girls (970, 47.1%) from the study sample was nearly the same. Regarding the economic
level, 62.9% of respondents said they are middle class, 27.4% said that they were high-income class,
and 8.4% said they are low-income class. As for the mother’s education level, 49.8% of respondents
indicated college graduates, and 47.4% of respondents said their mother graduated from high school.
Also, 2.8% of respondents indicated graduate school graduation. Next, regarding the father’s level of
education, the proportion of college graduates were 53.4% and high school graduates were 41.0%.
As a result of this analysis, it has shown that sports activity had a statistically significant effect
on the sustainable social environment factors and teacher and friend relationships, as well as, it was
found that sustainable social environment had a statistically significant effect on juvenile aggression
toward others and oneself. However, sports activity did not show a direct effect on juvenile aggression
toward others and oneself. It indicated that more sports activity could positively improve the level
of teachers–self and friends–self relationships and then reduce the aggression toward both others
and oneself.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization and methodology, Y.L.; writing-original draft preparation and
supervision, S.L.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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