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

ObjectivesTo review the current research on alcohol-related violence and sports participation.MethodsThe 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.ResultsA 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).ConclusionThe 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.