Can High School Sports Deter School Violence?

[Wrestling Doc]

Another school shooting. This time in Ohio.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/gunman-...215513999.html

Do you believe that students who participate in sports tend to be less likely to engage in violent actions in schools?

Personal opinions as well as recorded support (research, literature, news reports, etc) welcomed.

[fudge tunnel]

Another school shooting. This time in Ohio.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/gunman-...215513999.html

Do you believe that students who participate in sports tend to be less likely to engage in violent actions in schools?

Personal opinions as well as recorded support (research, literature, news reports, etc) welcomed.

Apparently this kid was bullied.

You don't see too many wrestlers getting bullied...

[cementMixer]

Word on the street is Joe Zimmer gets bullied a lot.

[jdrescher]

Another school shooting. This time in Ohio.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/gunman-...215513999.html

Do you believe that students who participate in sports tend to be less likely to engage in violent actions in schools?

Personal opinions as well as recorded support (research, literature, news reports, etc) welcomed.

My personal opinion....... I think if you take the time to look at the students that commit these type of things, you will see that they aren't generally the type that would be involved in teams.

I guess I'm trying to say it's not so much that they would be less likely if you took these same kids and put them in sports. I think you would find these kids wouldn't be interested in participating to start with. I think it is something inside the kids themselves.

Just my opinion.

[Wrestling Doc]

My personal opinion....... I think if you take the time to look at the students that commit these type of things, you will see that they aren't generally the type that would be involved in teams.

I guess I'm trying to say it's not so much that they would be less likely if you took these same kids and put them in sports. I think you would find these kids wouldn't be interested in participating to start with. I think it is something inside the kids themselves.

Just my opinion.

FT - I agree with your point 100% which is what constituted a "have to wrestle" policy in my household. The have to was not for championships nor scholarships but for "future" bully control.

J - I think you make a good point about the interest being inside of the child. We see the same concept (interest or desire towards a given direction) relatives to adults which is the purpose behind the development of career interest inventories such as the Self Directed Search and the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory.

What do you think is the parents' role or responsibility in this - even if the child does not have it in them to participate in a sport to encouraged or even "force compliance" upon them to do so? For example, my youngest didn't want to wrestle and tried to convince me during the 7th grade to let him quit the sport. However, I convinced him that he was in a "have to" situation just like 7th and 8th grade band was for him.

Sure we know that not child is going to participate in a sport in school but is there some other activity that a parent has a responsibility for directing their child towards in an effort to help them to develop additional sense of purpose or what psychiatrist Alfred Adler calls "social responsibility?" Adler goes on to say that people who are not socially connected tend to fall on the discouraged side of life (aka: clinical depression which usually involves extreme anger turned inward). Conversely, he states that social connectedness is a sign of mental health or a well adjusted personality.

[skim milk]

What do you think is the parents' role or responsibility in this

The parents are a large part of the issue. I heard on the news last night that the police have responded to multiple domestic violence situations at the home. That his dad, had been arrested previously, and also had bouts of depression and an attempted suicide. Now, think about the behaviors that are being modeled for this kid in his home. The people that are supposed to be the main mentors for his physical and psychological growth are modeling violence and anger for him to deal with problems. The old addage the apple doesn't fall far applies. Kids generally (there are exceptions to every rule I realize) will grow to be like those who role model behaviors for them.

[Wrestling Doc]

The parents are a large part of the issue. I heard on the news last night that the police have responded to multiple domestic violence situations at the home. That his dad, had been arrested previously, and also had bouts of depression and an attempted suicide. Now, think about the behaviors that are being modeled for this kid in his home. The people that are supposed to be the main mentors for his physical and psychological growth are modeling violence and anger for him to deal with problems. The old addage the apple doesn't fall far applies. Kids generally (there are exceptions to every rule I realize) will grow to be like those who role model behaviors for them.

Skim,

Everything you stated fits Bandura's Social Learning Theory.

Here is a link on the theory: http://www.learning-theories.com/soc...y-bandura.html

It's a good psychological theory to learn and understand because it helps to explain why people behave the way their parents behaved. For example: Why do sons of alcoholics have a higher chance of becoming alcoholics themselves? Why do children of abusing parents have a higher chance of becoming abusing parents themselves and so forth?