Sport today is a big business; and society is immersed in the daily happenings of the sports world. Athletes are exalted as role models, marketed to sell products, and paid handsomely by team owners. Although there has been an abundance of news articles about athletes and violent acts, there is little conclusive evidence as to whether athletes are actually more inclined than non-athletes to participate in violent acts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare patterns of engagement in violence activities, and related risk behaviors, of athletes from various levels of participation (high school and college) and non-athletes. A survey was designed to identify patterns of participation in risk behaviors classified as those behaviors which are or may lead to violent acts. General education courses were used to insure subjects from a large number of different majors participated. The gender breakdown of the subjects reflected that of the university (55% females, 45% males) and the make-up of the subjects by class was 25% freshman, 30% sophomores, 22% juniors, and 23% seniors. Completion of the survey implied consent to participate. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi Square, and Spearman Rho correlation techniques; and an alpha value of .05 was used to determine significant differences. The dependent variables in the study were frequency of physical fights, weapon carrying, and sexual activity under the influence of drugs/alcohol; and the independent variables were athletic status (high school athlete, college athlete, or non-athlete) and gender. High school athletes (male: 61.2%; female: 50.0%) and college athletes (male: 21.0%; female: 25.0%) were involved in a physical fight, more than non-athletes (male: 15.8%; female: 25.0%). Ten percent of male non-athletes carried a weapon two or three times while, 60% of male high school athletes and 26.7% of male college athletes carried a weapon two or three times; similarly, 22.2% of female non-athletes carried weapon one time compared to 66.7% and 11.1% of female high school and college athletes respectively (results for females were at a significant level). Athletes, both males (HS: 62.7%; college: 27.1%) and females (HS: 61.3%; college: 9.7%), had sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol significantly more than non-athletes (males: 15.7%; females: 28.0%). These results demonstrate the relationship between athletics and violence, which has been illustrated in the literature and society. Based on these results further research is needed to examine and understand the relationship between participation in violent acts and athletic status. Keyword(s): athletics/sports, sport management, violence/prevention