Summary
This study, which was funded by the Australian Sports Commission, identified more than 600 programs for young people in Australia that focused on sport and physical activity. The study conducted a postal survey of these youth programs to identify which program components led to successful interventions to reduce antisocial behaviour by youth, and also undertook case studies of some of the programs. Programs most commonly catered for youth at risk of or involved in drug use and crime (81% of programs), and more than half of all programs surveyed were also open to youth not at risk of antisocial behaviour. This report describes the program conception, delivery methods and intended outcomes of the programs surveyed, and identifies prominent themes for program structuring and development from the case study analysis. The report concludes that a multi agency model and integration with community support services are important for the successful implementation of sport and physical activity programs, and also sets out Good Practice Program Principles for the development of such programs.