Environmental and Individual Factors in Adolescent Anti-Sociality: A Structural Model of Mexican Teenagers (original) (raw)
Related papers
Substance Use & Misuse, 1998
This study is part of the National School Survey on drug use by high school students in Mexico. The validity, reliability, and resu.lts of the Antisocial Acts Scale in Mexico City (n = 3,501) are discussed. Using factorial analyses of the Antisocial Acts Scale, two major sources of variability were observed. The first one is related to antisocial acts with severe social consequences, in which violence and drug selling are included, and fue second one is related to thefts. Significant differences were found in fue number of offenses among groups of different gender, age, and occupation during the previous year. More antisocial acts were perpetrated by alcohol and drug users than by nonusers. In a 10gistic regression model, it was found that the main risk factors for perpetrating antisocial acts were being male, using alcohol, and using other drugs. (Translations are provided in the Intemational Abstracts Section of this issue.]
Predicting Antisocial Behavior Among Latino Young Adolescents: An Ecological Systems Analysis
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 2005
The authors used data from a national sample of 420 Latino young adolescents to examine multiple predictors of antisocial behavior within an ecological systems framework. They found that boys and youths who lived a higher proportion of their life in poverty exhibited higher levels of antisocial behavior, and mothers' acculturation was associated with lower levels. Neighborhood and school environments, exposure to deviant peer pressure, and 3 parenting practices-parent-youth attachment, physical punishment, and mothers' monitoring-were related to Latino youth antisocial behavior. Neighborhood quality and peer pressure explained the relation between poverty and an increased risk for antisocial behavior.
Revista de salud pública (Bogotá, Colombia)
Examining neighborhood conditions, parenting and peer affiliations' association with adolescents' aggressive behavior. Testing various mechanisms through which neighborhood conditions influence two adolescent outcomes, both directly and indirectly (via their impact on parenting and peer-affiliation): aggression and delinquency. Data regarding adolescents was taken from a self-reporting survey of 1,686 Colombian adolescents living in 103 neighborhoods of Medellin. Neighborhood-related data was taken from official government datasets, as well as two separate community surveys. Both multilevel modeling and multilevel structural equation modeling were used in the analysis. The probability of an adolescent engaging in aggression in Medellin was 7.0 % and becoming involved in delinquency 0.3 %. There was also significant variation for both forms of aggressive behavior at neighborhood-level (7.0 % aggression and 14 % regarding the delinquency scale). No neighborhood condition had a...
Abstract: In this paper we use a SEM analysis to test an explanatory model for antisocial behaviour in adolescence that includes dimensions that have a direct effect on antisocial behaviour (psychoticism and self-control), and dimensions that are relatively malleable during this developmental stage and mediate the role of age on antisocial behaviour (family environment and conformity to social rules). A structural equations model was tested with a sample of 489 participants between 9 and 17 years old. Results show a good fitting model where psychoticism, self-control, age, social conformity and family environment are intertwined in a complex net of relations and effects involved in the explanation of adolescent antisocial behaviour. Conclusions embrace the differentiated nature of each predictor and its role both directly and in relation to other predictors. The complexity of adolescent antisocial behaviour became evident, showing that it cannot be addressed in simplistic terms, as we need to account for several variables' direct and indirect effects. RESUMO: Apresentamos a análise de um Modelo de Equações Estruturais para testar um modelo explicativo para o comportamento antissocial na adolescência que inclui dimensões com efeito direto no comportamento antissocial (psicoticismo e autocontrolo) e dimensões que apresentam mais varia-bilidade ao longo deste estádio de desenvolvimento e que medeiam o papel da idade com comportamento antissocial (ambiente familiar e conformidade social). Foi testado um modelo de equações estruturais com uma amostra de 489 jovens entre os 9 e os 17 anos de idade. Os resultados revelam um modelo significativo, com bons índices de ajustamento, no qual o psicoticismo, autocontrolo, idade, conformidade social e ambiente familiar se entrecruza numa complexa rede de relações e efeitos envolvidos na explicação do comportamento antissocial na adolescência. As conclusões reconhecem a natureza distinta de cada preditor e o papéis diretos e através das relações com outras variáveis preditoras. Fica evidenciada a complexidade do comportamento antissocial na adolescência, demonstrando que tal fenómeno não pode ser abordado de forma simplista, já que há que considerar efeitos diretos e indiretos de diversas variáveis.
The Open Family Studies Journal, 2011
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine ecodevelopmental risk factors associated with alcohol uses, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors among Hispanic delinquent adolescents. Specifically, this study tests the effect of attitudes, family, peer, and school bonding on alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors in Hispanic delinquent youth. Methods: A sample of 235 heterogeneous Hispanic delinquent adolescents was recruited through referrals from the Miami-Dade County's Department of Juvenile Services and from the Miami-Dade County Public School system. Logistic regression methods were utilized to examine the independent effect of each risk factor (attitudes, family, peer, school) and to determine the extent to which these factors are associated with alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors. Results: Family functioning was inversely and significantly related to past 90-day alcohol use in univariate regression (=-.24, p = .035) but was not significant in multiple regression (=-0.09, p = .556). Peer alcohol use (= 2.02, p<0.001) and poor alcohol attitudes (=0.59, p=0.006) were positively and significantly related to past 90-day alcohol use in the final model. Poor alcohol attitudes, family functioning, peer alcohol use, and school bonding were all significantly related to both rule breaking and aggressive behaviors in the final model. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of identifying risk factors at multiple levels to prevent/reduce alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors among Hispanic delinquent youth.
Antisocial Behavior in Juvenile Offenders: A Development Bioecological Approach
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 2019
This review analyzes the bioecological model of human development as a comprehensive framework of adolescent antisocial behavior. Variables such as family and peers with antisocial backgrounds, antisocial peer attitudes, alcohol consumption, offensive behavior, education level, perception of safety in the community, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, are discussed. This review supports the bioecological model as a plausible framework for understanding antisocial behavior during adolescence. KEYWORDS Adolescents; antisocial behavior; bioecological model Juvenile delinquency-in Latin America in general and in Peru in particular-is an aspect of grave concern both for the authorities responsible for State policy in matters in public safety and justice, and for the population as a whole. However, few studies have been conducted to explore and identify predictors of this type of behavioral problem. Such an effort would be valuable inasmuch as it identifies variables with an empirically proven link to antisocial behavior (Brook, Lee, Finch & Brown, 2012; Luengo, 2012) in order to devise preventive interventions on such malleable, non-static variables that may interrupt the causal chain that produces such behavior even at early ages (Holloway, Bennett & Farrington, 2006; V eronneau & Dishion, 2010). In developed countries, there is tendency to carry out epidemiological studies on behavioral problems in order to identify, and later alter, the causal variables of such behavioral problems through early interventions (Latimer, 2001; Farrington & Brandon, 2005). Knowledge produced by such research enables the design of intervention programs (either preventive or therapeutic) based on an empirical causal link between the "target"
Personal and Environmental Predictors of Aggression in Adolescence
Brain Sciences, 2021
This study aims to find causal factors of aggression in a group of Latino adolescents to achieve a greater understanding of human nature, taking into account personal and contextual variables. The fundamental hypothesis is that moral disengagement, personality traits, self-esteem, values, parenting, sex, and socioeconomic situation can function as possible casual factors of aggression in adolescents. The study examined the variables using the structural equations model (SEM) to determine causal factors of aggression in a sample of 827 adolescents (54% men and 46% women) between 11 and 16 years of age. According to the scientific literature review, sociodemographic, personal, and familiar variables were included in the causal model. The influence of the variables occurred in two ways: one that inhibits aggression and the other that reinforces it. The results are discussed based on identifying protective and risk factors against aggression: biological sex and values of conformity and transcendence as aggression’s inhibitors and, on the other hand, openness, moral disengagement, and leadership values as the most important predictors of aggression.
Adicciones, 2014
The objective of this study was to investigate the association exposure to violence, drugs and alcohol has in shaping the psychosocial and behavioral profiles of Mexican American adolescents of low socioeconomic status. A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 881 Mexican-American adolescents described their exposure to violence, drugs, and alcohol, while their parents responded to a questionnaire about their children's behavioral, emotional, and social problems. Participant information was extracted from electronic record databases maintained in six university-based clinics in El Paso, Texas on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. A total of 463 (52.6%) adolescents reported they had not been exposed to violence, alcohol, or drugs. The remaining 418 (47.4%) adolescents indicated only a single category of exposure: violence (25.1%), alcohol (24.9%), or drugs (8.6%). In addition, some adolescents reported combined exposure to violence and alcohol (13.4%), alcohol and dr...
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2014
Numerous researchers have investigated risk factors for adolescent antisocial behavior (ASB) using social learning theory. Less attention has been directed to how these factors interact across time and context. Using this framework as well as social contextual theory, we examined 1,196 respondents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the relations among parenting, peer, and community risk factors of youth ASB. We found that community violence exposure was a strong, direct predictor, and parental monitoring moderated the relation between community violence and ASB. Results suggested that social contextual theory provides a useful framework for predicting ASB.
2014
The objective of this study was to investigate the association exposure to violence, drugs and alcohol has in shaping the psychosocial and behavioral profiles of Mexican American adolescents of low socioeconomic status. A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 881 Mexican-American adolescents described their exposure to violence, drugs, and alcohol, while their parents responded to a questionnaire about their children's behavioral, emotional, and social problems. Participant information was extracted from electronic record databases maintained in six university-based clinics in El Paso, Texas on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. A total of 463 (52.6%) adolescents reported they had not been exposed to violence, alcohol, or drugs. The remaining 418 (47.4%) adolescents indicated only a single category of exposure: violence (25.1%), alcohol (24.9%), or drugs (8.6%). In addition, some adolescents reported combined exposure to violence and alcohol (13.4%), alcohol and drugs (14.6%), or violence, alcohol, and drugs (13.4%). The association between combined exposure to violence, drugs, and/or alcohol and the psychosocial and behavioral profiles of these Mexican-American adolescents showed an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems. Little is known about the mental health of Mexican Americans who are exposed to alcohol, violence, and drugs, especially adolescents living in poverty in neighborhoods along the U.S.-Mexico border, who are at a high risk for these exposures. These findings highlight the risks associated with adolescent exposure to violence, drugs, and alcohol and the need for effective interventions within this subgroup of Mexican-American youth and their families.