Participation in clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence and its effects on attachment and self-esteem

We examined social participation in organized clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence in a sample of young people from Dunedin, New Zealand. Groups were broadly categorized as “sports” and “cultural/youth” groups. While the results indicated high levels of participation in childhood with a decline over the ensuing adolescent years, path analyses suggested strong continuities in participation over time. Both family “active-recreational” orientation (ARO) and “intellectual-cultural” orientation (ICO) predicted participation, and mediated the effects of disadvantage on participation. Participation was significantly related to adolescent attachment to parents, friends and school/workplace, as well as self-perceived strengths, after controlling for early family disadvantage and social support, peer attachment and literacy. The effect of participation in adolescence is to widen the “social convoy” to which young people are exposed as well as strengthening relationships within that convoy.