Extracurricular Activity Participation of Hispanic Students: Implications for Social Capital Outcomes

The authors investigated whether participation in school-based extracurricular activities would predict social and behavioral outcomes (school membership, peer prosocial orientation, and prosocial behavior) associated with school social capital in a group of Hispanic middle school students from the United States of America. Results of hierarchical linear regressions based on longitudinal data indicated that participation in sports-related activities was associated with increased feelings of school membership and peer prosocial orientation. Results are especially significant as Hispanic youth are at an increased risk for school failure and are less likely to have access to social capital in the home and community settings.