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Publication Date

2008-01-01

Availability

UM campus only

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

Date of Defense

2008-04-15

First Committee Member

Jomills Braddock

Second Committee Member

Terrence Hill

Third Committee Member

Robin Bachin

Abstract

Although several studies have examined the benefits of sport participation for women, few have centered on women of color in particular. Furthermore, the association between how athletic involvement affects one?s likelihood of victimization has yet to be fully explained. Using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this research employs structural equation modeling techniques to explore the relationship among adolescent females' racial diversity, differential participation in an active sport, and levels of self-esteem to determine how these variables affect victimization patterns in adulthood. Results indicate that female athletic participation has a highly statistically significant positive impact on self-esteem; however, athletic participation and self-esteem levels in adolescent females are not significantly related to their victimization by intimate partners in young adulthood. These results suggest that concentration on victims' characteristics is not necessarily beneficial in order to develop a better understanding of violence; where perhaps instead, research should more closely examine the attributes of perpetrators and societal institutions when exploring how and why violence occurs and who is affected by it.

Keywords

Sport; Self-esteem; Women Of Color

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