Keeping youth in play The effects of sports-based interventions in the prevention of juvenile delinquency

Despite the widespread implementation of sports-based crime prevention programs, there is little known about the effectiveness of these interventions and the validity of underlying theoretical assumptions. This dissertation consists of four studies. First, a meta-analysis on the relation between sports participation and juvenile delinquency was conducted. Overall, there was no relation between sports participation and juvenile delinquency, implicating that adolescent athletes are no more or less delinquent than non-athletic adolescents. Second, meta-analyses on the effectiveness of sports-based interventions on psychosocial outcomes in adolescents were performed. Significant effects were found on externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior, self-concept, and academic achievement. Third, the effectiveness of the Dutch sports-based crime prevention program “Alleen jij bepaalt je wie bent” (AJB) for at-risk youths was examined using a quasi-experimental design. Positive effects of AJB were found on delinquency outcomes, but not on the risk and protective factors for delinquency (e.g., conduct problems, peer pressure, and academic engagement). Finally, it was tested which youth, coach, and context factors were associated with intervention success in AJB. Youths who attended “Praktijkonderwijs” (i.e., schools for practical training), practiced at sports clubs with better socio-moral climates, and with coaches reporting more motiving behaviors showed greater improvements on the risk and protective factors for delinquency. The overall results of the dissertation showed that sports-based crime prevention could be effective, if the pedagogical quality of the sports environment is sufficient. However, there is a need for more research to understand the effectiveness of sports-based interventions, and the conditions in which they are effective.