| Prevention science is a paradigm reflecting the core factors that promote or detract from healthy youth development. Programs that foster meaningful linkages between adolescents, adults, and the community hold great potential in ensuring a young person's success. A program using martial arts as a forum for constructive change was studied. The participants were 90 high school students (55 females and 35 males). The impact of a traditional martial arts program on success in academics, improved self-esteem, reduced substance use, and pro-social attitudes toward both conflict and violence was investigated. Using a mixed methods approach, the investigation demonstrated potent changes over a three interval period. High-risk youth engaged in martial arts improved on all variables from baseline measurement, most notably in the areas of self-esteem and a less favorable attitude toward violence. High-risk comparison peers in a no-training control condition did not experience this same level of positive change. Neither high-risk group reached the same level of performance as low-risk comparison students. |
