Aggressive Behavior Among Competitive Team-Sport Athletes in Jordan: Associations with Sport Type and Sociodemographic Characteristics

Abstract

Objective:
This study examined self-reported aggressive behavior among competitive male Jordanian team-sport athletes and investigated differences by sport type and selected sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods:
This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included 500 first-division football, volleyball, handball, and basketball players. A researcher-developed 24-item questionnaire was used to assess Aggression. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.

Results:
The results showed that overall aggression was very low (M = 1.23, SD = 0.17). Aggression differed significantly by sport type, income, residence, marital status, and educational level. The largest unadjusted effect was found for sport type, F (3, 496) = 15.51, p ≤ .001, η2 = .078, with football players reporting higher aggression than volleyball and handball players. In the adjusted model, residence was no longer significantly associated with aggression (p = .474), whereas sport type (p ≤ .001), income (p = .001), educational level (p = .023), and marital status (p = .009) remained significant. The adjusted model explained 15.1% of the variance (R² = .151). However, after accounting for club-level clustering in a multilevel model, sport type, income, and marital status remained significant, whereas residence remained nonsignificant and educational level was attenuated to borderline nonsignificance (p = .054).

Conclusion:
The study concluded that self-reported aggression was generally very low but varied across selected sociodemographic and sporting contexts in Jordanian competitive sport athletes. Thus, prevention efforts should emphasize sport-specific behavioral expectations, respectful communication, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and sportsmanship rather than assume aggression is a core component of competitive sport.