Participation in sports has been documented as a positive experience for children, and another study from the University of Tel Aviv demonstrated that sports helps lower aggression in children, particularly boys, reports Science Daily.
The study included 649 children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and using questionnaires, researchers tracked two groups, one in a 24-week after-school sports program, and a control group that received no sports instruction.
“We set out to determine whether sports training would have a positive impact on these children by lowering aggression, and how this result can be achieved," explained study author Karen Shahar.
Sports participation is more effective than verbal therapy, Shahar said, because while verbal therapy encourages children to control their behavior, research indicates that it does not reduce negative emotions. Playing sports, however, subdues negative emotions and helps reduce aggressive behavior as a result.
The study concluded that a continuous program of sports helped improve self-control and discipline, and lowered feelings of aggression – mostly in boys. Girls did not exhibit a similar strong response, and researchers theorize that it was because they did not suffer from the same aggression problems as boys.