Gender/Racial Differences in Jock Identity, Dating, and Adolescent Sexual Risk

Authors: Miller, Kathleen; Farrell, Michael; Barnes, Grace; Melnick, Merrill; Sabo, Don

Source: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Volume 34, Number 2, April 2005 , pp. 123-136(14)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Despite recent declines in overall sexual activity, sexual risk-taking remains a substantial danger to US youth. Existing research points to athletic participation as a promising venue for reducing these risks. Linear regressions and multiple analyses of covariance were performed on a longitudinal sample of nearly 600 Western New York adolescents in order to examine gender- and race-specific relationships between “jock” identity and adolescent sexual risk-taking, including age of sexual onset, past-year and lifetime frequency of sexual intercourse, and number of sexual partners. After controlling for age, race, socioeconomic status, and family cohesion, male jocks reported more frequent dating than nonjocks but female jocks did not. For both genders, athletic activity was associated with lower levels of sexual risk-taking; however, jock identity was associated with higher levels of sexual risk-taking, particularly among African American adolescents. Future research should distinguish between subjective and objective dimensions of athletic involvement as factors in adolescent sexual risk.

Keywords: jock identity; athletic activity; sexual risk; adolescent; gender; race

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-3211-0

Affiliations: 1: Research Institute on Addictions, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14203, Email: kmiller@ria.buffalo.edu

Publication date: 2005-04-01