Recreation, Sport and Tourism :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Fear of Violence Prevents Kids from Exercising Outdoors

In a recent study, Professor Kim Shinew and Associate Professor Monika Stodolska interviewed Latino children 11-18 years old in Little Village, Chicago to find out how crime in the community impacted their recreational and physical activity. Fear of gangs prevented many of them from participating in after-school or sport programs. Most felt safer in organized indoor programs at facilities such as the Boys and Girls Club. Read more about the Little Village study.