ABSTRACT
Abstract From a behavioral-economic approach of delinquent behavior, this research aimed to identify potential consequences that could alter the cost of crime from the offender's perspective. A questionnaire prepared to assess the level of informational and utilitarian reinforcement and punishment of these consequences was answered by 118 juvenile offenders in confinement. The reported level of informational reinforcement did not predict the level of multiplicity of offenses committed. The reported levels of utilitarian reinforcement, informational punishment, and utilitarian punishment predicted this level of multiplicity. Only the level of utilitarian punishment decreased the likelihood of an offender having been involved in more types of criminal acts. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Resumo A partir de uma interpretação econômico-comportamental do comportamento delinquente, este estudo buscou identificar potenciais consequências capazes de alterar o custo do crime do ponto de vista do próprio infrator. Um questionário elaborado para a avaliação do nível de reforçamento e punição, informativo e utilitário, dessas consequências foi aplicado a 118 jovens em privação de liberdade. O relato do nível de reforçamento informativo não predisse o nível de multiplicidade dos atos infracionais praticados. Já os relatos dos níveis de reforçamento utilitário e de punição informativa e utilitária predisseram a multiplicidade. Apenas a punição utilitária diminuiu a chance de o infrator ter se envolvido em mais tipos de atos. Implicações teóricas e práticas desses achados são discutidas.
ABSTRACT
The good behavior game (GBG) is an interdependent group contingency procedure designed to reduce disruptive behavior in classroom settings. In the GBG, a class is divided into groups, simple rules are made, and contingencies are placed on the students' rule-following behavior. This procedure has been proven effective across various student ages, and its simplicity and long-term effects have contributed to its popularity in school settings. Although it has been systematically evaluated across a wide range of student ages, research on the GBG is lacking in the area of population- and setting-specific assessments. In this evaluation, the GBG was implemented in three classrooms (student ages 7-12) at a school for children with severe problem behavior; in particular, these students had already displayed behavior that might be described as "delinquent" or "predelinquent." Disruptive behavior substantially decreased across all three classrooms as a result of the intervention. This application extends the current literature by systematically replicating the results of the GBG with a different population. Implementation of the GBG, population-specific obstacles, results, and future directions are discussed.
El Juego del Buen Comportamiento (JBC) es un procedimiento de contingencias grupales interdependientes diseñado para reducir conducta disruptiva en el salón de clases. En el JBC se divide al salón en grupos, se instauran reglas simples y se establecen contingencias sobre la conducta de seguimiento de reglas de los estudiantes. Este procedimiento ha probado ser efectivo con estudiantes de diferentes edades y su simplicidad y efectos a largo plazo han contribuido a su popularidad en ambientes escolares. Aunque ha sido evaluado sistemáticamente a través de un amplio rango de edades, hace falta investigación del JBC en el área de evaluación de poblaciones y en situaciones específicas. En este trabajo, se implementó el JBC en tres aulas (estudiantes de 7 a 12 años de edad) de una escuela para niños con problemas severos de conducta; en particular, estos estudiantes habían mostrado previamente conducta que podría describirse como "delincuente o "pre-delincuente". La conducta disruptiva disminuyó sustancialmente en los tres salones como resultado de la intervención. Esta aplicación extiende la literatura actual al replicar sistemáticamente los resultados del JBC en una población diferente. Se discute la implementación del JBC, los obstáculos específicos de la población, los resultados y las futuras direcciones.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This present study examined the power of the Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) subscales to predict a DSM-IV diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). METHODS: The sample included 37 children and adolescents with ODD and 46 normal controls. The participants and their parents were interviewed for clinical diagnosis using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and the parents completed the K-CBCL. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the diagnosis of ODD. RESULTS: Among the CBCL subscales, Delinquent and Aggressive Behavior scales significantly predicted ODD diagnosis. The means of these CBCL subscales were significantly higher in the ODD group when compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Two CBCL subscales (Deliquent and Aggressive Behavior) displayed good diagnostic efficiency for assessing ODD in children and adolescents. Through combining information from the CBCL, an empirical-quantitative approach to psychopathology in children and the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, the results demonstrated that a clinical diagnostic approach is an effective diagnostic paradigm for children with ODD.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Humans , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders , Checklist , Child Behavior , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Logistic Models , Mass Screening , Mood Disorders , Parents , Psychopathology , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the differences between the psychiatric characteristics of minor juvenile offenders and normal adolescents as well as differences in psychiatric symptoms after a six month protective disposition. Further, the current study aimed at determining psychiatric screening methods for evaluating delinquent adolescents. METHODS: The Latent Delinquency Questionnaire (LDQ), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Reynolds Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ), the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR) were administered to 134 normal adolescents (114 males) and 109 minor offenders (97 males) aged 12 to 16 years. After six months, 46 offenders (all males) completed the RCMAS, CDI, SIQ, and SCI again. RESULTS: Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems, but were significantly less depressive, anxious, or suicidal than normal controls. Further, recidivists had more anxiety, depression, and delinquent behavior than non-recidivists. Minor offenders reported that their anxiety and depressive mood decreased after six months of protective disposition. CONCLUSION: Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems suggesting that psychiatric screening tools for minor offenders should measure disruptive behavior disorder.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Aged , Humans , Anxiety , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders , Criminals , Depression , Follow-Up Studies , Manifest Anxiety Scale , Mass Screening , Self Concept , Self Report , Suicidal Ideation , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar variáveis individuais e familiares preditoras do comportamento anti-social. Os participantes foram 148 adolescentes, autores de atos infracionais, e 163 adolescentes não-infratores. Os adolescentes responderam individualmente a uma entrevista estruturada, que investigou estratégias educativas parentais, variáveis familiares e aspectos relacionados ao desenvolvimento do comportamento infrator. Uma análise de conteúdo das respostas permitiu a delimitação das principais práticas educativas relatadas pelos jovens. Uma análise de regressão indicou que o comportamento anti-social de familiares, o número de irmãos, o uso de drogas pelo adolescente, os conflitos na família e as práticas educativas parentais explicaram 53 por cento da variância do comportamento infrator. Os resultados apontaram a importância da família no desenvolvimento da conduta infratora.
The aim of the present study was to investigate individual and family variables that might predict delinquent behavior. The participants were 148 adolescents, institutionalized for committing criminal transgressions, and 163 adolescents who did not commit criminal transgressions. The participants were interviewed about parental practices, family variables, and other factors related to the development of the delinquent behavior. A content analysis of the answers allowed the delimitation of the main educational practices identified by the adolescents. Regression analysis showed that antisocial behavior of family members, number of siblings, drug use, conflicts within the family, and parental educational practices explained 53 percent of the variance of delinquent behavior. These results pointed to the importance of the family in the development of the delinquent behavior.
Subject(s)
Education , Juvenile Delinquency , Adolescent BehaviorABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The present study was intended to compare difference in research variables between delinquent adolescents and student adolescents, and to analyze discriminative factors of delinquent behaviors among Korean adolescents. METHODS: The research design of this study was a questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were administered to 2,167 adolescents (1,196 students and 971 delinquents), sampled from 8 middle and high school and 6 juvenile corrective institutions, using the proportional stratified random sampling method. Statistical methods employed were Chi-square, t-test, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The discriminative factors of delinquent behaviors were smoking, alcohol use, other drug use, being sexually abused, viewing time of media violence and pornography. Among these discriminative factors, the factor most strongly associated with delinquency was smoking (odds ratio: 32.32). That is, smoking adolescent has a 32-fold higher possibility of becoming a delinquent adolescent than a non-smoking adolescent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings, that smoking was the strongest discriminative factor of delinquent behavior, suggest that educational strategies to prevent adolescent smoking may reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency. Antismoking educational efforts are therefore urgently needed in South Korea.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Adolescent Behavior/ethnology , Psychology, Adolescent , Chi-Square Distribution , Child Abuse, Sexual/ethnology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Discriminant Analysis , Erotica/psychology , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Family/ethnology , Health Education , Juvenile Delinquency/ethnology , Korea/epidemiology , Logistic Models , Mass Media , Surveys and Questionnaires , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Smoking/adverse effects , Students/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/complications , Violence/ethnologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the temperament and character of juvenile delinquents, and to explore the effect of those factors on juvenile delinquent behavior. METHODS: 128 male and 29 female juvenile delinquents on probation, and 66 male and 69 female students in the 10th and the 11th grade, completed Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI), anxiety, depression scales and Latent Delinquency Questionnaire. RESULTS: Male juvenile delinquents showed significantly higher 'novelty seeking', and lower 'harm avoidance' and 'persistence' in JTCI subscales, compared to normal control group. Stepwise multiple-regression analysis showed that 'novelty seeking' and 'harm avoidance' were significantly predicting juvenile delinquent behavior. In the case of the female adolescents, delinquent group was significantly lower 'harm avoidance' than normal groups, and stepwise multiple regression analysis showed 'self-transcendence' was the only significant predicting variable for juvenile delinquent behavior. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, temperament was related to the juvenile delinquent behavior especially for male delinquent adolescents.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Anxiety , Depression , Juvenile Delinquency , Surveys and Questionnaires , Temperament , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of present study was to explore characteristics of emotion and cognition in adolescent delinquency. METHODS: Four-hundred-seventy-six adolescents participated to fill out the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Revised (FCSS-R), the Latent Delinquency Questionnaire (LDQ), the Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS), the Negative Affect Self Statement Questionnaire (NASSQ), the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Negative & Positive (ATQ-N, P), and the Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale. RESULTS: Adolescent delinquency was positively correlated with anxiety and depression, negatively correlated with fear. Multiple regression analysis showed that depression, fear and the automatic thought for physical threat were significant predicting variables for adolescent delinquency. CONCLUSION: From our results it was inferred that adolescent delinquency is correlated with emotional discomfort, especially in male adolescents. And fear could suppress delinquent behaviors. From the results of this study the direction of future study was discussed.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Anxiety , Cognition , Depression , Manifest Anxiety Scale , Surveys and Questionnaires , Self ConceptABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to examine the differences of coping strategies, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and psychosomatic symptoms between student adolescents and delinquent adolescents and to explore the extent of influence of psychosomatic symptoms and coping strategies to delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents. METHODS: The research design of this study was cross-sectional nation-wide survey using Mental Health Questionnaire for Korean Adolescents(MHQKA). Subjects serving for this study were consisted of 2,086 including 1,230 student adolescents and 856 delinquents adolescents, using the proportional stratified random sampling method. Their age range was from 12 to 18. Data were analysed by IBM computer using SAS program. Statistical methods employed for this study were Cronbach's Alpha for reliability, chi2, t-test and path analysis etc. RESULTS: The results of this study were as follows : (1) Delinquent adolescents showed the more sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychosomatic symptom I, II, III and IV than student adolescents. (2) Delinquent adolescents showed the more negative coping strategies such as cognitive avoidance, behavioral avoidance, and consequently higher delinquent behavior than student adolescents. (3) The most powerful contributing variables on delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents were sexual abuse, psychosomatic symptom I, physical abuse, behavioral avoidance coping strategies, cognitive avoidance coping strategies in this order named. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirmed the relationship between psychosomatic symptoms and coping strategies and delinquent behavior. However, in view of the cross-sectional study character of the present study one needs to be cautious in interpretation on the relationship between psychosomatic symptoms and coping strategies and delinquent behavior. Several potential processes may underlie the relationship among these variables.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Mental Health , Surveys and Questionnaires , Research Design , Sex OffensesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This paper examined gender differences in a rate, type, relevant variables of delinquent behavior, and a gender differences regarding the relative influence of family,personality, academic achievement, sexual abuse and alcohol drug abuse on delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents. METHOD: Data were collected by self-report questionnaires. Subjects consisted of 2,100 adolescents (male 1,396, female 704) in Korea, using proportional stratified random sampling method. Statistical methods were Chi-square, t-test and path analysis. RESULT: Male adolescents had higher rate of delinquent behavior, and more all types of delinquent behavior (antisocial, aggressive, and psychopathic) than female. Male adolescents showed more dysfunctional family dynamic environments, higher antisocial personality and sociability than female adolescents. Female adolescents had higher depressive tendencies than male. The most powerful contributing variables on male delinquent behavior were age, antisocial personality, parent-child relationship, isolation feelings, and sexual abuse in this order named. Drug abuse, isolation feelings, antisocial personality and parent-child relationship tended to be contributing variables for female delinquent behaviors in this order named. CONCLUSION: This investigation will provides a foundation for theory that addresses the complexities of both gender-specific and gender influences on delinquent behavior and development of preventive strategies for female delinquency.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Antisocial Personality Disorder , Korea , Parent-Child Relations , Surveys and Questionnaires , Sex Offenses , Substance-Related DisordersABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine relationship between sex, age, family dynamic environment, personality, smoking, alcohol drinking, substance abuse and delinquent behavior, and to determine the extent of influence of alcohol drinking and substance abuse on delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents. METHOD: The research design of this study was cross-sectional, nation-wide survey. Data collection was done through questionnaire survey. The subjects of this study were consisted of 1,948 adolescents including 784 delinquents and 1,164 students in Korea, selected by proportional stratified random sampling method. In this study, independent variables were sex, age, family dynamic environment. Intermediating variable was smoking, alcohol(I, II), drug abuse. Dependent variable was delinquent behavior. The Cronbach's Alpha of the instruments using in this study ranged from 0.63 to 0.93. Statistical methods employed were Chi-square, t-test and path analysis. RESULTS: 1) The delinquent adolescents were reared in more dysfuntional family dynamic environment, and have higher maladaptive personalities than the student adolescents. 2) The delinquent adolescents were larger users of smoking, alcohol and drug than the student adolescents. 3) Powerful contributory variables on delinquent behavior were : antisocial personality, tendency, drug abuse, smoking, sex difference, psychosomatic symptoms II and parent-child relationship of adolescents in their order. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that alcohol drinking and drug abuse were the powerful contributing variables to delinquent behavior, but family dynamic environment, personality of adolescents, especially antisocial personality tendency, depressive trend, were related to drug use and deviance.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Alcohol Drinking , Antisocial Personality Disorder , Data Collection , Korea , Parent-Child Relations , Surveys and Questionnaires , Research Design , Sex Characteristics , Smoke , Smoking , Substance-Related DisordersABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors on juvenile delinquency and to examine relationships between sex, age, the family environment, the personality of adolescents, smoking, and juvenile delinquency. Methods: Data collection was done through questionnaire surveys. The subjects for this study consisted of 1,948 adolescents delinquents : 784, students : 1,164 in Korea, using proportional stratified random sampling method. Statistical methods employed were chi-square, t-test and path analysis. Results: The results of this study were as follows : 1. The delinquent adolescents were reared in a more dysfunctional family environment, and had a higher maladaptive personality than the other student adolescents. 2. The delinquent adolescents showed the larger amount of smoking than the student adolescents. The cause of increased smoking tendency among delinquents simply were 'for social relation', 'for diversion', 'for nicotine addiction', whereas 'for tension relieving' among non-delinquent adolescents. 3. The most powerful contributors on delinquent behavior were antisocial personality tendencies, smoking, sex, strength of parent- child relationships, and the age of the adolescents in this order. Conclusions: Our cross-sectional findings indicate that smoking was one of the most powerful contributing variables to delinquent behavior, but family environment, personality, sex and age of adolescents were also proved to be strong exogenous variables to smoking in adolescents.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Humans , Antisocial Personality Disorder , Data Collection , Juvenile Delinquency , Korea , Nicotine , Surveys and Questionnaires , Smoke , SmokingABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to test the theoretical model designed to explain juvenile delinquency by media violence. Data were collected through questionnaire survey over a period of 3 months. Subjects served for this study consisted of 537 adolescents including 217 delinquent adolescents and 320 student adolescents in Korea, sampled from Korean student population and delinquent adolescent population confined in juvenile correctional institutions, using proportional stratified random sampling method. In this study, exogeneous variable was family dynamic environment and endogeneous variables were character of adolescent including need satisfaction/ frustration, sociability, antisocial personality tendency, complaints of psychosomatic symptoms and depressive trend, juvenile delinquent behavior and media violence themes including the extent of interest in and exposure and modelling impulsiveness and modelling to media violence themes. A total of 18 instruments were used to operationalized concepts in this model. A validation study indicated that internal consistencies for the 18 instruments which the researcher used were reliable. The one month test-retest correlation for these instruments ranged from 0.54 to 0.88. Statistical methods employed were descriptive statistics and covariance structural modelling. In summarized conclusion, it was found that media violence served as the most contributor to juvenile delinquency by direct effect of 0.64(t=10.18). That is, as the adolescents have to be the higher extent of interest in and exposure and modelling impulsiveness and modelling to media violence themes, they will show the more frequency of delinquent behavior. The single most powerful contributor by total effect of 0.73(t=7.90) (direct effect=0.19, indirect effect=0.54) to the development of delinquent behavior identified in this study was a construct defining family dynamic environment. That is, as the adolescents had to be more unstable family dynamic environment, they became more frustrated to their psychological need, and revealed the more maladaptive personality pattern, consequently they behaved the higher misconducts such as juvenile delinquency through media violence.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Antisocial Personality Disorder , Frustration , Juvenile Delinquency , Korea , Models, Structural , Models, Theoretical , Surveys and Questionnaires , ViolenceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test theoretical model and to build up of final modified model for explaining juvenile delinquency by media violence. METHOD: Data were collected through questionnaire survey over a period of 2 months. The subjects served for this study consisted of 1,943 adolescents including 707 delinquent adolescents and 1,236 student adolescents in Korea, sampled from Korean student population and delinquent adolescent population in juvenile correctional institions, using proportional stratified random sampling method. But, only 537 respondents including 217 delinquent adolescents and 320 student adolescents among 1,943 that replied perfectly to questionnaires were employed for this study. In this study, exogeneous variable was family dynamic environment, and endogeneous variables were character of adolescents including need satisfaction/frustration, sociability, antisocial personality tendency, complaints of psychosomatic symptoms and depressive trend, juvenile delinquent behavior and media violence themes including the extent of interest in and exposure and modelling impulsiveness and modelling to media violence themes. A total of 18 instruments were used to operationalized concepts in this model. Statistical method employed was covariance structural modelling. RESULTS: For build up of the best fit model, the authors proceed by saturating the model, that is, including an arrow for all the possible relationships among all the variables. Afterward, a progressive elimination of the nonsignificant relationships, based on the betas that did not show a p<0.05 levels, was performed, this level was chosen for reasons of parsimony since the size of sample implied many statistically significance. The results of this analysis were as follows : In order to investigate the fitness of theoretical model to our data, Chi-square and goodness of fit index were identified. These results of chi-square value and fitness index score did not to be fit to the theoretical model which hypothesized the causal effect among various variables established in this study. Therefore the authors removed the endogeneous variable, sociability among character of adolescent because of being not significantly influenced on delinquent behavior for constructing the best fit model. The parsimonious best fit model included the various constructs defining family dynamic environment, need frustration, antisocial personality pattern, complaints of psychosomatic symptoms, depressive trend and media violence themes as direct paths to delinquent behavior. This final modified model yielded a very definitely improved goodness of fit indices. According to final modified model, it was revealed that the effects of media violence, complaints of psychosomatic symptoms, antisocial personality tendency on juvenile delinquency were significant positively higher. Especially, the most exerting influential variable on delinquent behavior in this model was media violence themes. The family dynamic environment also, as direct and/or indirect paths, was assumed a positive influence on juvenile delinquency as well as media violence themes. CONCLUSIONS: In brief, it was found that media violence served as the most direct contributor to juvenile delinquency. That is, as the adolescents had the higher extent of interest in and exposure and modelling impulsiveness and modelling to media violence themes, they showed the more frequency of delinquent behavior. The single most powerful contributor by total effect to the development of delinquent behavior identified in this study was the family dynamic environment. That is, as the adolescents had the more unstable family dynamic environment, they became the more frustrated to their psychological need, and revealed the more maladaptive personality pattern, consequently they behaved the higher misconducts such as juvenile delinquency through media violence.