NCJ Number
214009
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 12 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2006 Pages: 441-455
Date Published
May 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article presents findings from a study investigating the relationship between participation in high school aggressive sports and dating aggression, sexual coercion, and selected attitudes among college men.
Abstract
College men who participate in aggressive high school sports, in contrast to men who do not, are shown to score higher on measures of sexism, particularly hostile sexism, are more accepting of violence as a means of solving problems, and are more accepting of rape myths. They are also more hostile toward women and have more negative attitudes toward homosexuality. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that high school exposure to the blatant sexism, objectification of women, admiration of violence, and misogyny often associated with aggressive sports influences the likelihood of men engaging in dating aggression and sexual coercion when they reach college. The results also indicate that participation in aggressive high school sport is one of many developmental pathways leading to relationship violence. This study examined self-reported dating aggression and sexual coercion in 147 college men, age 18 to 21. A comparison was conducted of men who had participated in aggressive high school sports and those men who did not.