The use of sport as a conduit to change the behaviour of young people has been used across the world. Sport is seen as widely appealing to the main target of these interventions – young males – who are the primary offenders and majority of the victims, of antisocial and violent behaviour.
This approach is accentuated in Australia with its ongoing embracement of sport as part of our culture.
In identifying risk strategies that confront young people through their development researchers have found that a number of these risks can be addressed through the positive factors that young people engage in by being involved in sport. The positive factors that they are exposed to through sport are: • Socialisation • Humility • Role models • Team building • Healthy Lifestyle • Commitment, and • Sense of achievement • Leadership • Sense of Community • Goal setting • Responsibility There are many sports where participation is possible at very diverse skill levels and fitness levels which allow for the majority of young people no matter what weight, height or culture to get involved. We get our children involved because of the benefits we see in sport but we are now diminishing the benefits of sport to young people with the result that it is a real danger that sport will be seen as introducing young people to more risk factors.
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