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Bullying has been considered as a multidimensional form of aggression which includes a double distinction, distinguishing the form of aggression and its functions. In the school context, bullying is considered a primary issue with figures up to 35%. Two forms of aggression have traditionally been considered: physical aggression and relational/social aggression. In Italy regional laws have been enacted on prevention and fight against bullying and cyberbullying and the parliament started the legislative iter to recognize bullying as a form of stalking. Physical education (PE) potentially promote behaviors and attitude against bullying but PE setting has also been linked to bullying episodes: victims of bullying can tend to avoid PE lessons as a potential situation that make them feel vulnerable; on the other hand, PE can exert beneficial effects in encouraging the externalization of emotions and improving social skills. PE teaching styles and teachers' proactive attitude are crucial to promote a friendly environment and to avoid potential situation of discrimination. PE teachers should try to enhance self-efficacy as well as social competences of their students and avoiding creating embarrassing sit-uation due to physical appearance and/or poor motor skills. Future research should address behaviors of PE teachers to contrast bullying, evaluate the positive/negative role of PE in bullying situations, explore the prevalence of bullying at school respect to the other disciplines. ; Il bullismo è stato considerato come una forma di aggressione multidimensionale che comprende una doppia distinzione, tra la forma di aggressione e le sue funzioni. Nel contesto scolastico, il bullismo è considerato una questione primaria con cifre fino al 35%. Tradizionalmente sono state considerate due forme di aggressione: l'aggressione fisica e l'aggressione relazionale/sociale. In Italia sono state emanate leggi regionali sulla prevenzione e la lotta al bullismo e al cyberbullismo e il Parlamento ha avviato l'iter legislativo per ...

Drug addiction may cause health problems and social exclu- sion (Neale, 2006, In R. Hughes (Ed.), Drugs, policy and politics (pp. 201–226). Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press). Although studies indicate that physical activity levels are inversely related to substance use disorders, it is not clear the role of exercise during drug abuse treatment (Weinstock, Barry, & Petry, 2008, Addictive Behaviors, 33, 1072–1075). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week exercise intervention, as an adjunct to treat- ment for drug dependent patients (cannabis, opiates, amphe- tamines, cocaine and heroin addicted), on psychological and physical fitness variables. With institutional ethics approval, 34 male participants (mean age: 45.2 ± 12.6 years; stature: 1.77 ± 0.06 m; body mass: 74.2 ± 9.7 kg) were assigned to an experimental group (n = 17) that performed exercise inter- vention (i.e., aerobic-anaerobic exercise at moderate-intensity plus behavioural training), or a control group (n = 17). At baseline and after 8-week, COPE-NVI (60-item self-report questionnaire), CD-RISC (10-item scale) and physical fitness tests (i.e., Stork balance stand, functional reach, lateral side- step and push-up tests) assessed coping skills, resilience and fitness levels, respectively. A 2-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures and paired t-test analysis were performed to locate between- and within-trial variance, and the magnitude of significant effects was determined using Cohen's d effect sizes. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05. Adherence to exercise was 94 ± 2,6% and after intervention significant improvements in the skills and strate- gies adopted to cope with stressful events (P < 0.01, d = 0.80) and in ability to deal with negative experiences (P < 0.01, d = 0.87) were found. In addition, the physical fitness compo- nents as static (P < 0.01, d = 0.96) and dynamic balance (P < 0.01, d = 0.75), anaerobic power and coordination (P < 0.01, d = 0.89), and endurance of the upper body muscu- lature (P < 0.01, d = 0.58) are significantly improved in the experimental group. No relevant changes were found in the control group. Findings highlighted the positive relationship between increased physical fitness and improved functional and adaptive modalities used to cope with stressful events and negative experiences. Therefore, exercise intervention was effective to improve mental and physical wellbeing in drug addicts.

Background: The Italian government promoted social distancing, in which the suspension of any social event, suspension of all activities practiced in gyms, sports centers and their closure was ordered. The social distancing in the school environment and the use of strategies to limit viral infection are not very compatible with group motor activity and team sports. The aim of this study is to verify the effectiveness of a CrossFit program in order to mitigate the deficits in fitness caused by COVID-19 prevention measures and to evaluate the effects on self-efficacy in a group of young adolescents. Methodsː 30 healthy participants were randomly allocated into an intervention group (IG) that performed the 8 weeks CrossFit training program or control group (CG). Physical fitness tests (i.e., Squat, push-up, lunge, and 20 m run) and psychological measures Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy scale (RESE) were performed at baseline and after 8 weeks. Resultsː After 8 weeks, the intervention group showed significant improvements for all fitness tests (p < 0.0001). Additionally, higher scores for the RESE negative and positive (p < 0.0001) scales were found in the intervention group. No statistical differences were found in the control group except for the push up test. Conclusionsː the 8-week CrossFit intervention program could positively affect the general physical well-being and improve the emotional perceived self-efficacy in healthy adolescents.

Futsal is a sport that originates from soccer and is increasingly practiced all over the world. Since training and warm-up protocols should be sport-specific in order to reduce injuries and maximize performance, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of 5 weeks of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program on explosive strength, speed, and perception of physical exertion in elite female futsal athletes. Twenty-nine elite female futsal athletes participating in the Italian national championships were divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG) underwent 5 weeks of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program, and the control group (CG) underwent 5 weeks of a dynamic warm-up. We evaluated any effect on explosive strength (by Squat Jump test), speed (by Agility T-test), and perception of physical exertion (by Borg CR-10 scale). All measurements were carried out by a technician of the Italian Football Federation before (T0), at the middle (T1), and at the end (T2) of the protocol. The EG showed significant improvements on performances between T0 vs. T1 and T0 vs. T2 both in the Squat Jump test (p = 0.0057 and p = 0.0030, respectively) and in the Agility T-test (p = 0.0075 and p = 0.0122). No significant differences were found in the Squat Jump test performances in the CG, while significant improvements were detected in the Agility T-test performances (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.0053, T0 vs. T1 and T0 vs. T2, respectively). As for the Borg CR-10 scale, we found a significant difference between T0 and T2 in the EG (p = 0.017) and no differences in the CG. This study showed that 5 weeks of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program improves the jumping performance of female futsal athletes without adversely affecting speed. These findings can be useful for coaches and athletic trainers in order to consider FIFA 11+ warm-up program also in female futsal athletes.

Background: Few studies have investigated the effects of adopting a specific and prolonged posture on cyclists. This study aimed to evaluate the upright spine in a sample of recreational cyclists and compare it with a sample of non-cyclists, though still athletes, through a 3D scanning method. Methods: Forty-eight participants were enrolled in this observational study. The sample consisted of 25 cyclists for the cycling group and 23 non-cyclist athletes for the control group. The Spine3D device (Sensor Medica, Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy) was used to evaluate the spine of the participants in both groups. Results: The results showed significantly greater spine inclination in the cycling group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in lumbar lordosis in the cycling group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Conclusions: This case–control study raises the possibility that the onset of lower back pain in cyclists may be due to a reduction in lumbar lordosis. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the Spine3D device can be used in sports to monitor the spine of athletes to prevent and reduce musculoskeletal deficits.