Young adolescents participating in organized sports less likely to show oppositional-defiant behavior

Young adolescents, especially boys, who participated in organized sports between ages 6 and 10 are less likely to defy their parents, teachers and other authority figures, a new study by researchers in Canada and Italy suggests.

"Oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) is often under-diagnosed and can co-occur with other developmental disorders," said the study's lead author Matteo Privitera, a doctoral student at the University of Pavia (UofP), supervised by Linda Pagani, a professor at Université de Montréal's School of Psycho-Education.

Symptoms of the disorder include persistent patterns of irritability, defiance and hostility toward authority figures. The disorder is over-represented by boys and often accompanies other neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and learning disabilities."

Matteo Privitera, study's lead author 

Importantly, "these behaviors can interfere with learning, relationships and long-term mental health," he added. "In our study, we wanted to look into the symptoms and try to identify accessible, community-based strategies that foster more adaptive behavior in children."

Privitera and his research team examined data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a population-based cohort of children born in 1997 or 1998 whose data is curated by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.

The study focused on 1,492 boys and girls who participated in organized extracurricular sports between ages 6 and 10. At ages 10 and 12, the same children self-reported on symptoms of oppositional-defiant behavior.

Those sports included any supervised by an adult (coach or instructor), structured according to established rules, practised in a group and involving a competitive element. Factors such as family income, maternal education and the child's behavioral profiles were considered and their influence was accounted for in the analyses.

Fewer symptoms in boys

"Boys who consistently participated in organized sport showed significantly fewer subsequent oppositional-defiant symptoms at both ages compared to boys with low or inconsistent participation," said Privitera. "Sport may serve as a natural and influential context for learning self-regulation, cooperation and respect for rules."

The research team, which included fellow UdeM doctoral candidate Kianoush Harandian and UofP professors Luca Correale and Laura Fusar-Poli, used conservative longitudinal statistical procedures to estimate prospective associations, while adjusting for early childhood behavioral symptoms and family background.

No significant associations between sport and ODD were found for girls. This was not surprising given that boys generally show more oppositional behavior in middle childhood, the researchers said.

"Our findings support the idea that structured extracurricular activities can promote behavioral resilience," said Harandian. "Sport offers a supervised and socially engaging environment that may help boys internalize adaptive behavioural norms."

The study has implications for public-health and education policies, Pagani added.

"Encouraging sustained sport participation in middle childhood may reduce the burden of disruptive behavior disorders and support long-term well-being," she said. "It's a simple, actionable strategy with benefits for families, schools and communities."