The association between sports participation, alcohol use and aggression and violence: A systematic review.

Abstract: Objectives: To review the current research on alcohol-related violence and sports participation. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to identify relevant studies for inclusion. A search of six databases (EBSCOhost) was conducted. Results: A total of 6890 studies was were identified in the initial search. Of these, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were from the US (n =10) and focused on collegiate athletes (n =7), adolescents (n =3), professional/former professional athletes (n =1). Conclusion: The reviewed research indicates higher rates of alcohol use and violence in athlete populations when compared against non-athlete populations. Masculinity, violent social identity and antisocial norms connected to certain sports stand out as potential factors that may impact the association between sport and violence in athlete populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]