This study was designed to detect aggression and peer violence manifestation forms in youth sports in Subotica. The sample consisted of athletes (N=255), aged between 11 and 18 years. Besides presenting descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the differences in variables (gender, school age, training years, sport type) among the forms of violence that can occur and among the ones that do occur. The results indicate the presence of aggression and violence. The most frequent place is in the dressing room, and the more common period is after or during training and while traveling to competitions, sports camps, etc. The study indicates significant differences in sexual violence between primary and secondary school-age children. Moreover, physical and psychological violence is significantly dominant in collective sports compared to the individual ones. Recognizing the presence of these phenomena is the first step toward reducing their potential negative outcomes.

This study compared different groups yearly based on the different annual quota of Physical Education (PE) classes in anthropometric parameters, physical fitness tests, and grades achievements. The study included adolescents from 14 to 18 years of age, at the Croatian Industrial School in Slavonski Brod. They were 225 participants in the 2015-2016 academic year, 213 in 2016-2017, 200 in 2017-2018, and 318 in 2017-2018. Groups were determined yearly by the different annual quota of PE classes (1 or 2 per week) in the teaching program. Anthropometric measures (body height, body weight, BMI), physical fitness tests (standing long jump, sit-ups, run for 1000 m), grade in the PE class, and the general achievement grade at the end of the school year were conducted. Data collected from the 2015-2016 until the 2018-2019 academic year. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the differences between groups for each school year separately. Results for sit-ups and run for 1000 m test in 2015-2016, BMI in 2018-2019, and the grade of PE class in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 academic year indicated significant differences between groups (p<0.05). The groups with 2 PE classes per week were made better results compared to the groups with 1 PE class. Therefore, increasing the number of PE classes per week should be necessary for achieving the positive, beneficial, physical, and mental outcomes of Physical Education.

Aggression and interpersonal violence (IV) against children and youth are issues in contemporary society. The current study reports on the youth athletes’ perception of the aggression and IV prevalence and its manifestation forms in a Serbian context. The sample included athletes (N = 2091) between the age of 11 and 18 years. Data were collected through an ad-hoc questionnaire created by the authors. Respondents’ answers to introductory questions about the frequency of IV indicated its absence (78.1%). However, the answers to the questions about specific forms of violent peer behavior indicated forms as well as the time and place where IV most often occurs. They underlined that IV takes place mainly after training or competition and during sports camps; and that the dressing room is the most favorable place for these behaviors. They also confirmed that the most prevalent subtypes of IV are psychological (roughly 40%) and physical (approximately 30%). The respondents’ opinions and experiences about IV (psychological, physical, sexual) revealed that factors such as gender, location, and parents’ education level may influence the IV manifestation. Highlighting the prevalence and the most frequently manifesting types of aggression and IV could help in awareness-raising of these social issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly changed everyday life of social actors, which inferred mental health and well-being concerns. As students of health-related studies tend to adapt better to difficult circumstances, in this study, we explored the effect of the pandemic on sports science students’ well-being during the summer of 2022. The research was conducted in Slovenia and Serbia. The sample comprised n = 350 students. The PERMA-Profiler, a 15-item self-reported questionnaire, was adapted to assess well-being across five elements: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Data were collected with a questionnaire through the summer of 2022 (from May to July) and analyzed in SPSS, AMOS 26.0. The results revealed normal functioning (M = 7.72, SD ± 1.38) for the overall well-being of the students. Although all dimensions indicated high scores, relationships (M = 7.95, SD ± 1.63), meaning (M = 7.76, SD ± 1.69), and engagement (M = 7.73, SD ± 1.36) rated the highest. Furthermore, the instrument was acceptable, as the confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate reliability based on Cronbach's alpha (15 items, α = 0.94) and strong internal correlations between the PERMA dimensions. This study contributes to the previously published research, emphasizing the positive responses and successful coping of sports science students in times of complex situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Context and objective: The scientific evidence on the association between motor competence and body composition among children and adolescents. The aim is to review the literature based on the association between motor competence and body composition to answer the question: does body mass index (BMI) has a negative impact on the Körperkoordinations test für Kinder (KTK) performance? Data Sources and Study Selection: A systematic review from 4 electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciELO, and Scopus) was used to search for research articles. The study had to include the KTK battery test to evaluate motor competence (MC) and BMI for measuring body composition among children and adolescents written in the English language. A total of 7 research articles were included in the review. Synthesis Methods and results: Two authors independently extracted the articles. The analyzed studies suggest that motor competence is negatively associated with body composition among children and adolescents. Thus, children with better BMI should have a higher MC score evaluated with the KTK assessment. Conclusions: The findings suggest that motor competence and body mass index are negatively associated among children and adolescents. Further research should include another type of test for examining motor competence.