Abstract
Objectives
There is no research examining alcohol-related aggression and anti-social behaviour
in UK or European sportspeople (athletes), and no research has examined relationships
between masculinity, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related aggression and antisocial
behaviour in sportspeople (athletes). This study addresses this gap.
Design
Cross-sectional.
Methods
A sample (N = 2048; women = 892, 44%) of in season sportspeople enrolled at UK universities (response 83%), completed
measures of masculinity, alcohol consumption, within-sport (on-field) violence, and
having been the perpetrator and/or victim of alcohol-related violent/aggressive and
antisocial behaviour (e.g., hit/assaulted, vandalism, sexual assault). Logistic regressions
examined predictors of alcohol-related violence/aggression and anti-social behaviours.
Results
Significant bivariate relationships between masculinity, within-sport violence, alcohol
consumption, and alcohol-related aggression and anti-social behaviour were found for
both men and women (p’s < .001). Logistic regression adjusting for all variables showed that higher levels of
masculinity and alcohol consumption in men and women were related to an increased
odds of having conducted an aggressive, violent and/or anti-social act in the past
12 months when intoxicated. Odds ratios were largest for relationships between masculinity,
alcohol consumption, within-sport violence, and interpersonal violence/aggression
(p’s < .001). A similar pattern of results was found for having been the victim of aggression
and anti-social behaviour.
Conclusions
Alcohol-related aggression and anti-social behaviour appear to be problematic in UK
university sportspeople, and is related to masculinity and excessive drinking. Interventions
that reduce excessive alcohol consumption, masculine norms and associated within-sport
violence, could be effective in reducing alcohol-related aggression and antisocial
behaviour in UK sportspeople.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 04, 2017
Accepted:
June 26,
2017
Received in revised form:
June 23,
2017
Received:
January 10,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
