London - Karate can make teenagers and children less aggressive, a study has found.
Teaching and practising martial arts was found to reduce theft, vandalism, and physical and verbal aggression in those aged six to 18.
The study authors, from the University of California, Los Angeles, examined the effects of aikido, karate, taekwondo and judo on 507 participants.
The results, published in the journal Aggression and Violent Behaviour, were consistent across different age groups and gender.
The authors have now suggested that martial arts could be used in the rehabilitation of young criminals.