Interrelations entre l’âge et les conduites délinquantes : la question de la maturité psychosociale et ses implications

Abstract

Background and objectiveThis study aims to determine whether differences in psychosocial maturity within a male sample aged 14 to 30years are more related to a developmental variable (age) or to the behaviors expressed by the study participants. PopulationA sample of 180 French Belgian males (mean=21.78 years, s.d.=5.26) was interviewed and divided into two subsamples: an offending and incarcerated subgroup (from detention centers and prisons) and a non-offending subgroup (from schools, leisure and social networks). MethodStandardized measures were used (self-reported delinquency and the 6 identified factors of psychosocial maturity) via an individual questionnaire survey. Univariate and inferential analyses were conducted to test whether differences between the two subsamples on the psychosocial maturity factors were related to age and/or offending status. The main results from the Ancova show that 3 factors of psychosocial maturity (impulse control, suppression of aggression, and personal responsibility) are explained exclusively by the participants’ behaviors, with significantly higher means in the non-offending subgroup, whereas one factor (future orientation) seems to be explained more by the participants’ age, independently of the behaviors presented. Conclusion and implicationsPsychosocial maturity appears to be a relevant dimension to be integrated into juvenile justice, particularly in terms of interventions. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.