EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Towards recognition of peer violence in youth sports – the case of Vojvodina
Ivana Milovanović 1 ✉ • Radenko Matić 1• Jovan Vuković 1• Milica Blagojević 1• Mladen Mikić 1• Dragan Marinković 1
Received: 18th March, 2020 |
DOI: 10.31382/eqol.200603 |
Accepted: 13th May, 2020 |
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© The Author(s) 2020. This article is published with open access. |
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Abstract
The paper contains the results of the field research that the authors used in order to determine the existence and manifesting forms of peer pressure in youth sports. The sample consists of young people aged 11 to 18, who practice sport (N=536). The research was conducted in the second half of 2019 in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The research results indicate that there are various forms of aggressive and violent behavior among youth, among which psychological violence predominates. The most common place for violence is the dressing room, after training or a competition. In terms of age,
Keywords children • youth • aggression • peer violence • sport • Vojvodina.
✉ivana.milovanovic@uns.ac.rs
1University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Novi Sad, Serbia
Introduction
The aggression and violence are global social phenomena, which have been researched in the past three decades. By examining many definitions of aggression it can be concluded that it is any “behavior that is intended to harm another person who is motivated to avoid that harm” (Allen & Anderson, 2017: 2; Bushman & Huesmann, 2010; DeWall, Anderson, & Bushman, 2011); whereas violence is, among other things, described as an “extreme form of aggression that has severe physical harm (e.g.,serious injury or death) as its goal” (Allen & Anderson, 2017: 3; Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Bushman & Huesmann, 2010; Huesmann & Taylor, 2006).
Taking into consideration that aggression and violence in scientific and research terms belong to the domains of sociology, psychology, political sciences, legal sciences, criminology and other related sciences, it becomes clearer that there are numerous definitions and classifications of violence, among which we distinguish: physical and psychological, rational and irrational, direct and indirect, individual and social, current and
&Drid, 2019). However, the focus of the researchers was primarily direct or interpersonal violence, which is the case with this research paper as well.
The phenomenon of peer violence has also been extensively investigated in recent decades. The primary focus was on school violence, especially since children spend a third of their time
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EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
in school. Among the numerous studies conducted on the topic of peer violence, one research stands out for its large sample size of over 100,000
Considering the general exposure of children and youth to violence in contemporary society, the authors wanted to investigate the extent to which the children in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina are exposed to aggressive behavior and violence in sport. The reason for such research is contained in the
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contradictory claims, which emphasize the socializing character of sport, the development of
Method
The sample of the respondents in this research included
respondents were acquainted with basic terminological instructions on the forms of aggressive behavior and peer violence that was being investigated in order to provide the most accurate answers.
The instrument itself contained two segments of questions: 1) the
The
The peer violence assessment included questions about: a) the place or location of the sports club, b) the time when violence among children occurred (before, during or after training; before, during or after the competition; during trips to sports camps or while staying in sports camps), c) the place where the violence occurs (sports hall, dressing room, training or toilet and bathroom areas), d) forms of violence (physical, psychological and sexual). The questionnaire which was used in the research has been created (compiled, constructed) by the authors of the research itself. Prior to use of the questionnaire, a pilot study has been performed with limited number of interviewees (N=60), showing satisfactory measurable results. All the respondents’ answers meant marking the attitude of the respondents on a scale of 1 to 5 (I completely disagree to I completely agree). On one hand, the respondents provided
EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
answers about the forms of violence that they believed could occur in their environment, and on the other hand, they also gave the answers to the forms of violence that occurred most frequently.
Statistical data processing included presenting the descriptive statistics that assessed peer violence. In the same manner, using the Man Whitney statistical tests, an analysis of differences in subjects in the variables assessing peer violence by gender and age was performed. The overall analysis of the results was performed based on the statistical package SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA).
Results
Table 1 shows descriptive statistics for the respondents’
Table 1. Descriptive statistics for respondents’
Variable |
N |
% |
|
Gender |
|
Male |
338 |
63.2 |
Female |
197 |
36.8 |
|
|
|
|
Age |
|
Primary school |
285 |
53.2 |
Secondary school (15 |
251 |
46.8 |
|
|
|
|
Location |
|
Village |
101 |
18.9 |
Suburb |
32 |
6.0 |
Town |
321 |
60.1 |
City |
80 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Father’s Education |
|
Primary education |
19 |
3.7 |
Secondary education |
234 |
45.9 |
College education |
118 |
23.1 |
Higher education |
139 |
27.3 |
|
|
|
|
Mother’s Education |
|
Primary education |
11 |
2.2 |
Secondary education |
213 |
41.8 |
College education |
135 |
26.5 |
Higher education |
151 |
29.6 |
|
|
|
|
Number of Children in the Family |
|
1 child |
86 |
16.2 |
2 children |
316 |
59.5 |
3 children |
100 |
18.8 |
4 children |
24 |
5.5 |
5 children |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Sport |
|
Football |
64 |
12 |
Basketball |
163 |
30.4 |
Handball |
104 |
19.4 |
Volleyball |
78 |
14.6 |
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EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
Table 1 (continued). Descriptive statistics for respondents’
Variable |
N |
% |
Athletics |
8 |
1.5 |
Gymnastics |
15 |
2.8 |
Water polo |
12 |
2.2 |
Ice hockey |
2 |
0.4 |
Martial arts |
61 |
13 |
Aerobics, ballet, Serbian folk dancing, dance |
12 |
2.2 |
Tennis |
2 |
0.4 |
Swimming |
6 |
1.1 |
|
|
|
|
Sports Experience |
|
1 year |
73 |
13.9 |
263 |
50.0 |
|
182 |
34.6 |
|
over 10 years |
8 |
1.5 |
|
|
|
By analyzing the descriptive statistics of peer violence in Table 2, it can be concluded that 57.4% of the respondents believe that various forms of violence occur in their sport, compared to 42.6% who do not detect it. However, the respondents’ answers to the
question about the frequency of violence in their sport indicate that its presence is lower and amounts to 7.4% (3.2% point out that violence occurs very often, while 4.2% state it occurs quite often).
Table 2. Number and frequency of the respondents who believe there is violence in the sport they practice
Variable |
N |
% |
Is there violence in the sport you practice? |
|
|
Yes |
223 |
42.6 |
No |
300 |
57.4 |
How often does violence in your sport occur among children? |
|
|
Very often |
17 |
3.2 |
Quite often |
22 |
4.2 |
Sometimes |
99 |
18.8 |
Rarely |
175 |
33.1 |
Almost never |
215 |
40.7 |
|
|
|
Furthermore, by looking at Table 3, it can be observed that peer violence occurs somewhat more frequently after training (27.1% of those who agree with this statement) and after the competition (24.3% of the respondents). Also, every third respondent
identified the dressing room as the place where the most violence among children occurs.
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EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
Table 3. Descriptive statistics of peer violence in respondents (%)
|
Variable |
|
I completely |
I disagree |
I am neutral |
I agree |
I completely |
|
|
|
disagree |
agree |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
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When does violence among children occur? |
|
|
|
|||
|
Before training |
|
44.5 |
16.0 |
22.1 |
13.5 |
4 |
|
|
During training |
|
42.7 |
20.5 |
20.1 |
12.9 |
3.8 |
|
|
After training |
|
38.4 |
15.9 |
18.6 |
21.3 |
5.8 |
|
|
Before competition |
|
46.6 |
22.7 |
17.6 |
9.9 |
3.2 |
|
|
During competition |
|
40.8 |
19.2 |
19.6 |
13.78 |
6.7 |
|
|
After competition |
|
40.9 |
15.5 |
19.4 |
17.6 |
6.7 |
|
|
While travelling to competitions, sports |
43.0 |
17.9 |
21.1 |
12.6 |
5.3 |
|
|
|
camps, etc. |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In sports camps |
|
41.3 |
16.6 |
24.9 |
12.8 |
4.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Where does violence among children occur? |
|
|
|
|||
|
In the gym |
|
41.4 |
23.5 |
19.2 |
13.3 |
2.7 |
|
|
In the dressing room |
|
32.8 |
12.7 |
20.8 |
25.6 |
8.1 |
|
|
In the training area |
|
42.5 |
22.9 |
20.6 |
9.1 |
5.0 |
|
|
In the bathroom/toilet area |
|
51.6 |
16.8 |
16.8 |
8.2 |
6.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forms of violence that can occur |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Physical violence |
|
27.6 |
13.5 |
18.8 |
26.8 |
13.3 |
|
|
Psychological violence |
|
20.1 |
11.4 |
15.2 |
31.3 |
22.0 |
|
|
Sexual violence |
|
58.2 |
16.9 |
13.9 |
5.8 |
5.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Most common forms of violence that have occurred |
|
|
|
|||
|
Physical violence |
|
30.9 |
12.5 |
20.0 |
21.5 |
15.1 |
|
|
Psychological violence |
|
22.5 |
11.0 |
17.6 |
28.0 |
21.0 |
|
|
Sexual violence |
|
67.0 |
12.7 |
13.1 |
1.9 |
5.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Based on the results obtained in Table 4, it can be concluded that gender differences were observed in psychological violence with a higher level being
observed in girls. In other forms of violence, no statistically significant gender differences were observed.
Table 4. Analysis of differences in forms of violence that may occur and which most frequently occurred to respondents based on gender
Form of violence |
Forms of violence that can occur |
Forms of violence that occurred most frequently |
||
|
(Mean Rank) |
|
(Mean Rank) |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boys |
Girls |
Boys |
Girls |
Physical violence |
266.10 |
267.19 |
266.03 |
263.23 |
Psychological violence |
249.30 |
295.99** |
252.24 |
285.79* |
Sexual violence |
268.16 |
263.66 |
271.33 |
251.32 |
|
|
|
|
|
Also, it is noticeable that there are differences in the perception of higher levels of physical and psychological violence of older
statistically significant differences only in physical violence in the older school age children compared to primary school age children.
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EQOL Journal (2020) 12(1):
Table 5. Analysis of differences in forms of violence that can occur and the ones that have occurred most often based on the age
|
Forms of violence that can occur |
Forms of violence that occurred most often |
||
Form of violence |
(Mean Rank) |
(Mean Rank) |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Younger school age |
Older school age |
Younger school age |
Older school age |
|
|
|
|
|
Physical violence |
247.81 |
284.04** |
250.72 |
277.50* |
Psychological violence |
248.39 |
283.40** |
254.70 |
272.13 |
Sexual violence |
261.41 |
268.98 |
259.50 |
265.79 |
|
|
|
|
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Discussion
With this research we tried to determine the existence and manifesting forms of aggressive behavior and peer violence in youth sports in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The sample consists of 536 children and youth from Vojvodina villages, suburban and urban areas, whose sports experience ranges from one to more than ten years of practicing a certain sport. In terms of the respondents’ age, these are the children of primary and secondary school age.
Despite numerous definitions of aggression and violence mentioned in the introductory part, the focus of this research was direct/interpersonal violence, and the results of the research also indicated the justification of the methodological focus of the researchers on this type of violence. Namely, previously conducted research indicates a high rate of peer aggression and violence, primarily in the school setting – an area where children spend much of their time (Popadić, Plut, & Pavlović, 2014). Contrary to the school environment, sport stands out as the favorite extracurricular activity among children. Sport has often been seen as a positive social phenomenon, where the possible existence of aggression is actually socially acceptable, precisely because it manifests itself in the sport context and within the rules of a particular sport (Biddle, 1995). Contrary to this view, some authors claim that children and young people who practice sport are more exposed to stress, precisely because of the competitiveness of the sport and the imperative to win, which is why the expression of aggressive and violent behavior is more common (Ciairano et al., 2007; Bandura, 1997; Bandura, 1977).
This field research is in favor of both types of argumentation. Namely, the research shows that the majority of children (57.4%) do not consider that aggression and violence occur in the sport they practice. And those who confirm that there is
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aggression and violence say that in most cases it is “rare” (33.1%) or it occurs “sometimes” (18.8%), as opposed to the ones who state it occurs “very often” (3.2%) and “quite often” (4.2%). It follows that the respondents witnessed aggressive and violent behavior, but that those were sporadic cases. Furthermore, in most cases the dressing room is indicated as the place of violence manifestation. There are two reasons for this: children/youth go to the dressing room alone after a training or sports event. It is a place where neither the coach nor the parents enter. Therefore, the dressing room is a place where the dynamics of the peer group come to the fore, combined with the cumulative negative emotions that these children/youth have experienced at a training or sports event, just before entering the dressing room. Emotions after training, especially when competition is present, can lead to conflict (Milovanovic et al. 2019b).
When it comes to manifesting forms of aggressive and violent behavior, it turns out that psychological violence is most prevalent. The most common manifesting forms of psychological violence are teasing, gossip, mockery, and they are more prevalent among girls than among boys. Children who are the “object” of ridicule either lag behind when it comes to expressing their talent in sports or are above average when it comes to their sports ability. The subject of ridicule may be their physical appearance, which in any way deviates from the “usual” or (non) talent for a given sport or socioeconomic status of the child’s family. This result is in line with the results of the previous research (Milovanović et.al. 2019a; Milovanović et.al. 2019b). By looking at the gender differences, it is evident that there is a statistically significant difference in the forms of violence that can occur (p <0.01), as well as in the forms of violence that occurred most frequently (p <0.05). With regard to the age of the respondents, we note that aggressive and violent behavior is more common for older school age children in the domain of physical violence; whereas in the case of violence that could occur (p <0.01) as well as in the case of violence that
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occurs (p <0.05) a statistically significant difference among school age children was determined. There is also a statistically significant difference (p <0.01) in psychological forms of violence that may occur between groups of respondents of different school age, with psychological violence more likely to occur in older school age children. We are talking about adolescents
Finally, the results of this research show that sport as a social phenomenon is not isolated from general social circumstances. Children and youth are exposed to aggression and violence on an almost daily basis, on the street, in schools, in the media, on social networks, in video games, and some children suffer violence in their families (Buka, Stichick, Birdthistle,
&Earls, 2001). This “availability” of aggression and violence is thus also reflected in sports as the favorite extracurricular activity of many children, where this survey found that 36.6% of sports involved physical and 49.0% of sports involved psychological aggression and violence. Sport still has a socializing character, which also influences the development of
Acknowledgement
The data used in this study were collected within the research project „Peer violence in children and youth sports” (register number:
Secretariat for higher education and scientific research.
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How to cite this article: |
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Milovanović, I., Matić, R., Vuković, J., Blagojević, M., Mikić, M., & |
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Marinković, D. (2020). Towards recognition of peer violence in |
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APA: |
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youth sports – the case of Vojvodina. Exercise and Quality of Life, |
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12(1), |
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Milovanović, Ivana, et al. "Towards recognition of peer violence in youth |
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MLA: |
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sports – the case of Vojvodina." Exercise and Quality of Life 12.1 |
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(2020): |
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Milovanović, Ivana, Radenko Matić, Jovan Vuković, Milica Blagojević, |
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Mladen Mikić, and Dragan Marinković. "Towards recognition of peer |
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Chicago: |
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violence in youth sports – the case of Vojvodina." Exercise and |
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Quality of Life 12, no. 1 (2020): |
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