Alcohol-related aggression and antisocial behaviour in sportspeople/athletes

O'Brien, Kerry S. and Kolt, Gregory S. and Martens, Matthew P. and Ruffman, Ted and Miller, Peter G. and Lynott, Dermot (2012) Alcohol-related aggression and antisocial behaviour in sportspeople/athletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 15 (4). pp. 292-297. ISSN 1440-2440

Abstract

Objectives: There is no empirical research on alcohol-related aggression and antisocial behaviour in non-US collegiate athletes. The present study addressed this gap by examining these behaviours in Australian university sportspeople. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: University sportspeople and non-sportspeople completed questionnaires on alcohol consumption, aggressive and antisocial behaviours (e.g., abused, hit or assaulted someone, made unwanted sexual advance, damaged property) when intoxicated. Participants also reported whether they had been the victim of similar aggressive or antisocial behaviours. Demographic data and known confounders were collected. Results: Hierarchical logistic regression models accounting for confounders and alcohol consumption scores found that university sportspeople were significantly more likely than non-sportspeople to have displayed aggressive behaviour (i.e., insulted or assaulted someone; OR 1.65, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.28, p=.003), and damaged property (OR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.84, p Conclusions: Consistent with work from the US alcohol-related aggressive and antisocial behaviours were greater in male Australian university sportspeople/athletes than in their female and non-sporting counterparts. There is a need for research explicating the interaction between alcohol, contextual and cultural aspects of sport, and sport participants. (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Sports Medicine Australia.