Abstract
Introduction A topic often overlooked in the criminological literature is whether and to what extent biological or developmental male characteristics explain variation in fighting ability during adolescence. The current study was designed to add to the existing literature on this topic by examining whether two physical attributes-height and bulk-were associated with being a skilled fighter during this life-course period.
Methods and Materials Data for the current study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health. Self-reports from male respondents regarding previous fighting experiences were used to assess skilled physical fighting ability. Self-reports of height and bulk were used to assess male physicality. A series of logistic regression models were estimated to examine the associations between fighting ability, height, and bulk.
Results Analysis of adolescent males revealed that taller and bulkier males were significantly more likely to be characterized as a skilled physical fighter. These significant associations could not be explained by whether they had any fighting experience or whether they had used weapons in physical fights.
Conclusions Overall, the results suggest that height and bulk are two observable biological indicators of skilled physical fighting among males.