Digital Self-Harm and the Protective Role of Sports Participation
Keywords:
self-harm, digital self-harm, organized sports, positive youth development, adolescentAbstract
A robust research base documents a range of positive outcomes associated with organized sports participation, including a reduced likelihood of self-harm. Despite this work, no research to date considers whether the protective effects of organized sports participation might extend to another aspect of self-harm: digital self-harm. Digital self-harm, or the anonymous posting of harmful information about oneself on the internet, is the focus of a small but growing number of studies. Guided by previous research and theory, I used data from the 2019 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey to investigate whether organized sports participation influences adolescents’ engagement in digital self-harm. The results from the analyses suggest that organized sports participation is negatively associated with digital self-harm, with one’s negative emotions attenuating a substantial portion of this influence. The findings from this study provide parents and other concerned parties with important information that may guide them in addressing this issue.
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