Youth Participation in Organized Sports and its Effect on Delinquency in Jamaica and Barbados

• In Event: The Influence of Sports, the Media, and Technology on Delinquency and Cyber-Risk

Abstract

The continued involvement of youth in delinquent activity means that a major challenge facing Caribbean criminologists is the identification of factors that may facilitate or deter such behavior so as to propose suitable avenues for intervention. Sports has historically enjoyed a position of high esteem among Caribbean youth. Although conventional wisdom suggests that involvement acts as a deterrent to delinquent behaviour, empirical evidence to support this claim worldwide is inconsistent, and in the case of the Caribbean, is completely absent. Using a mixed methods approach, and against the background of Hirschi’s social control/social bond theory which argues that delinquent behaviours are less likely if social bonds to society are strong, this study examines the role of sports in the deterrence or facilitation of delinquent behavior among a sample of Jamaican and Barbadian high school boys. A survey was conducted among 600 male students across the two islands, along with focus group interviews with selected groups. The results of this study will have critical implications for regional youth policy since to date, the push toward increased participation in sports among high school children has been undertaken without empirical knowledge of its short and long term effects. This paper presents preliminary findings.

Authors

• Corin Bailey, University of the West Indies

• Julian Cresser, University of the West Indies, Mona

• Charlene Coore-Desai, University of the West Indies, Mona