Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Jana L. Price-Sharps
Abstract
It is important to understand what protective factors might be developed in order to prevent Black adolescent females from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. The focus of this study was identifying the perceptions of adult Black women who grew up in an urban setting and who participated in organized sports during their adolescence. The primary research question focused on whether ten adult Black females perceived their participation in sports during adolescence served as a protective factor, thereby preventing or minimizing the participant’s involvement in criminal behavior. The data was analyzed through MAXQDA software. The predominant themes from this study included responsibility, empowerment, dedication, discipline, leadership, teamwork, and prosocial decision making. The participants felt that participation in sports during their adolescence served as a protective factor and reduced their participation in criminal behavior. The participants also found that their participation in sports empowered them to make more prosocial decisions and taught them discipline and responsibility. The themes that were discovered showed that organized sports taught them teamwork and dedication, which has helped them in adulthood as well. Positive social change may result from this study if the findings can be used to develop additional opportunity for Black juvenile females growing up in urban areas.
Recommended Citation
Jackson, Janine-Naisha Shante, "The Impact of the Involvement of African- American Female’s in Extra-Curricular Activities on Future Prosocial Decision-making" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12721.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12721
