Aggression and psychological well-being of adolescent Tae Kwon Do participants in comparison with hockey participants and a non-sport group

Abstract

Aggression among young adolescents has reached dangerous levels in contemporary society, especially in the school context where acts of aggression have increased dramatically. According to experts, schools in South Africa have become one of the most dangerous places where violence varies from blunt assaults on learners to bite wounds and fire-arm related injuries. It is a well accepted not ion in Sport and Social Sciences that sport is an extension of society and the problems in society are also the problems in sport, therefore the aggression problem in society naturally extends into sport. It is therefore, imperat ive for educators and researchers to look at new ways to contain and reduce aggression in young adolescents, as well as finding creat ive ways to improve the psychological well-being of learners in our schools. The aim of this investigation is to determine if Tae Kwon Do, as a special form of Martial Art , can reduce aggression levels and improve psychological well-being significantly in comparison with hockey participants and a non sport group. A survey method and two standardized questionnaires were used in this study namely, an Aggression Questionnaire and a Psychological Well-being Questionnaire. The research indicated the following: the Verbal Aggression and Host ility scores of the Tae Kwon Do participants were significantly lower than the hockey participants and non sport group. The Personal Growth and Self-acceptance scores of Tae Kwon Do participants were significantly higher than the hockey participants and non sport group.