Juvenile Behavior Research Articles

Factors of juvenile crime: Significant external factors and their practical implications in the court proceedings

The behavior of juveniles, particularly the unauthorized one, is always in the focus of scientific, professional and general public interests because it is an indicator of performance of measures by which a society takes care of the young. Though the negative part of social reality, juvenile crime deserves special attention because the return of the minor to the 'right path' of allowed and expected behavior is prior and responsible task of every society. Category of minors consists of persons with special psycho-physical structure with respect to the level of development, which are extremely sensitive, with intense emotional processes, and exposed to the influence of numerous factors, some of which can contribute to their eventual socially unacceptable behavior. Starting from the basic issues related to juvenile crime, and through analysis of the results of empirical research, the authors have carried out certain conclusions about the etiology of juvenile crime and the factors that contribute to this negative social phenomenon.

The varied path to adulthood: Plasticity in developmental timing in hylobatids.

Maturation includes physical, reproductive, and social aspects that develop asynchronously. Intra- and inter-individual variation in the relative timing of each aspect reflects context-dependent plasticity. Plasticity in developmental timing may be important for the family-living small apes (family Hylobatidae), where reproductive opportunities are monopolized by territorial breeding pairs. Data on development in hylobatids are so far limited due to their elusive arboreal niche and long lifespans. Herein, we provide the first quantitative analysis of behavioral development in 14 captive individuals of three species (Hylobates moloch, Nomascus leucogenys, and Symphalangus syndactylus), with some individuals being observed over 8 years. To establish a baseline for behavioral development, we compare the behavior of infants (0-2 years), juveniles (2-4 years), adolescents (4-6 years), and subadults (6-9 years) in their natal groups from data obtained over 250 focal observation hours. We then relate changes in behavior to measures of somatic and physiological development, and to wild populations, to identify the degree of intra- and inter-individual variation in developmental timing. We found greater concordance between behavioral and physiological markers of weaning than between different markers of later development, and the timing of later milestones varied more among individuals. Behavioral estimates from both captive and wild individuals in their natal groups indicate that puberty begins close to age 5, but physiological maturation can occur 0.5-3 years earlier in captive individuals than in wild individuals. Ages at onset of puberty, sexual, and social maturation vary in both captive and wild populations. The available evidence indicates that the social environment during development (e.g., presence of breeding female and appropriate mating partner), as well as nutrition, play a role in the timing of life history transitions in hylobatids. Am. J. Primatol. 78:610-625, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PENERAPAN MODEL BIMBINGAN KELOMPOK DENGAN TEKNIK PEER GROUP DALAM MENINGKATKAN PERILAKU DISIPLIN MEROKOK

This research aims at discovering empirical description of the implementation of group counselling with peer group technique in improving the smoking behavior of female juveniles in Panti Sosial Bina Remaja (PSBR) Bambu Apus, Jakarta Timur. The research conducted as from September through December 2012 was a simple experiment with one group pretest-post test design. The research subjects are seven juveniles supervised by PSBR Bambu Apus, Batch 72. The result of the group counselling was achieved by pre-test and post-test showing the improvement of 19.52 or 33.23 %. The research concluded the implementation of group counselling with peer group technique proves the improvement of smoking behavior of juveniles in PSBR Bambu Apus, Jakarta.

Metabolic and behavioral responses of the reef fish Patagonotothen cornucola to ultraviolet radiation: Influence of the diet

Most of the studies devoted to assess the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on fishes have been done with early life stages (i.e., eggs and larvae) as they are the most vulnerable to these wavelengths; however, the effects of UVR on juveniles or adults are less clear. This study evaluated the effects of UVR and diet (i.e., rich and poor in ultraviolet-absorbing compounds; UVAC) on the metabolic rates (respiratory frequency) and behavior (prey capture time) of juveniles of the reef fish Patagonotothen cornucola, a common species inhabiting the intertidal areas of the Patagonian coast. UVR was a significant stress factor for P. cornucola by increasing its respiratory frequency, which could be related to the costs of repairing any cellular components damaged during the exposure. Fish exposed to UVR took more time to detect and capture their prey, which could lead to a reduction in the prey capture rates, with the concomitant effects on growth. In addition, juveniles feeding on rich-UVAC diet had a significant lower respiratory frequency than those feeding on poor-UVAC diet. This differential response was not evident in the prey capture time. In their natural environment, P. cornucola could feed on a varied diet and could also partially avoid the exposure to UVR by hiding under the rocks or macroalgae. Future studies should consider the broad variety of diets that could be found in rocky intertidal areas, and how their qualities (in terms of UVAC content) could help to counteract the UVR effects on juvenile fish.

In Murky Waters: Crittercam on Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas)

AbstractAssessing bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) behavior is relevant for conservation and risk management. However, information on bull sharks—in particular, behavior of juveniles—is very limited in some parts of the world. Studying small-scale habitat use of juvenile bull sharks is challenged by their preferred habitats in estuarine environments with fast-changing environmental conditions. A number of advanced methods including acoustic telemetry, baited remote underwater video, and satellite tagging have been used to shed light on habitat utilization, food preferences, and movement. We tested the application of an underwater video camera recorder (“Crittercam”) combined with acoustic tags on three juvenile bull sharks during daytime and nighttime deployments and demonstrated the feasibility and limitations of this technique for juvenile bull shark research. All three tagged individuals used deeper channels (>5 m) moving alongside the river bank in a crisscross manner. We used additional information on habitat type and depth to support the findings. Our results provide important insights for future tagging studies combining tagging technologies to monitor bull sharks in coastal environments.

Los hemeróbidos de la Península Ibérica y Baleares (Insecta, Neuropterida, Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae)

Se revisan las especies de hemerobidos presentes en la fauna de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares donde, hasta la fecha, esta representada por 40 especies pertenecientes a 7 generos. Tras una diagnosis de la familia y algunos elementos sobre su historial paleontologico y su distribucion, se aportan unos datos generales sobre su morfologia y su biologia, sus estadios juveniles y comportamiento, y se comenta una breve introduccion sobre la historia en el conocimiento de la familia, y en particular en la Peninsula Iberica y Baleares. Se incluye una lista de las especies pertenecientes a su fauna, una clave de identificacion de los generos, subgeneros y especies citadas en la Peninsula Iberica y Baleares, y una clave de sus larvas a nivel generico. De cada una de estas especies se recopilan y se anotan todas las referencias bibliograficas existentes relativas a las especies de la zona estudiada, tanto con la denominacion actualmente aceptada, como de sus sinonimias y/o cualquier otra combinacion nomenclatural bajo las cuales han sido citadas. Tambien de cada una de las especies se anotan los datos conocidos y los ahora anotados sobre su distribucion general, aspectos de su morfologia externa y genital, asi como de su variabilidad, estadios juveniles, biologia, fenologia y distribucion altitudinal y geografica en la peninsula y archipielago balear, en base a un total de 5.338 ejemplares estudiados y aportando nuevo material inedito de 10 especies (con 341 nuevos ejemplares estudiados).

Sit-and-wait for large prey: foraging strategy and prey choice of White-tailed Eagles

Little is known about foraging strategy and prey choice in large raptor species and how they might change with age and season. Here, we present results about time allocation, foraging pattern and diet selection of adult territorial White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla from northeastern Germany. To assess age-related differences, we also observed foraging behaviour in roaming juveniles. Eagles allocated most of their diurnal time to perching. Since perch-hunting was more efficient than flight-hunting, “sit-and-wait” for prey seems to be a low-cost, highly profitable foraging mode in eagles. A linear mixed model revealed that season significantly affected eagle foraging patterns. Success in prey capture decreased and duration of foraging flights increased considerably in winter. Eagle strike success varied significantly between different territories and increased with increasing habitat quality. Adults foraged more efficiently than juveniles, presumably because of their superior spatial knowledge and hunting skills. A use–availability design for prey selectivity indices judged by log-likelihood chi-square statistics indicated that eagles make choices, within both their primary prey fish and alternative prey waterfowl, consistent with predictions of optimality models. When prey was abundant, eagles preferred large over small fish and slow over agile waterfowl species. Thus, prey choice by eagles reflected a complex function of absolute availability, size and anti-predator behaviour of their prey. Our study demonstrates that large raptors such as White-tailed Eagles are generally energy maximisers and pursue a “sit-and-wait” hunting mode to capture profitable prey, and can modify their foraging strategy to cope with variations in weather conditions and food availability.

Situational and Age-Dependent Decision Making during Life Threatening Distress in Myotis macrodactylus.

Echolocation and audiovocal communication have been studied extensively in bats. The manner in which these abilities are incorporated within escape behaviors during life-threatening distress is largely unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that behavioral response profiles expressed during distress are relatively stereotypic given their evolutionary adaptations to avoid predators. We subjected juvenile and adult big-footed myotis (Myotis macrodactylus) to a sequence of three types of life threatening distress: 1) trapping them in a mist-net (environmental threat), 2) approaching them when trapped (predator threat), and 3) partially restraining their freedom to move (arrest), and recorded their escape behavior in each of the three conditions. Response profiles differed across individuals and with the context in which they were expressed. During environmental and predator threat, bats displayed significantly more biting and wing-flapping behaviors and emitted more echolocation pulses than during arrest. Response profiles also varied with age. During arrest, juveniles were more likely than adults to emit distress calls and vice-versa for biting and wing flapping during environmental and predator threat. Overall, individualized response profiles were classified into ten clusters that were aligned along two divergent response trajectories when viewed within two-dimensional, multifactorial decision space. Juvenile behaviors tended to follow a predominantly “social-dependence” trajectory, whereas adult behaviors were mostly aligned along a “self-reliance” trajectory. We conclude that bats modify their vocal behavior and make age-appropriate and contextually adaptive decisions when distressed. This decision-making ability is consistent with observations in other social species, including humans.

A Qualitative Case Study: The Lived Educational Experiences of Former Juvenile Delinquents

The impact of juvenile delinquency on society is an issue of great concern. The impact of delinquent behaviors goes beyond the victim to include the offender, the offender’s family and society as a whole. A review of the existing literature reveals multiple studies, which examine delinquency from a causal perspective. Despite the efforts of researchers a definitive causal link is not readily determined. Ethical concerns centering around a quantitative study on delinquency precludes the discovery of such a causal link. Utilizing a qualitative study approach we may not be able to identify causal relationships; however, this approach provides clear insight into the lived experiences of the individuals being studied and in turn offers us the possibility of understanding what these experiences were and how they possibly impacted the individual. It is through this understanding of the lived experiences that we gain insight. This insight will, hopefully, facilitate the prediction of and the mediation of anti-social juvenile behavior.

Becoming someone new: identity theft behaviors by high school students

Purpose– The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the gap in the literature by investigating the identity theft behaviors of adolescents under the age of 18 and the predictors of these behaviors. To better understand the predictors of hacking behaviors in young people, two criminological theories, general theory of crime and social learning theory, are utilized.Design/methodology/approach– A rural county in western North Carolina was chosen to participate in the study. Principals of four high schools in this county agreed to participate. All 9th through 12th graders were recruited for the study. Those who were given parental permission to participate and gave their own assent were given a survey.Findings– Results indicated that low self-control and deviant peer association were in fact associated with identity theft behaviors of juveniles.Originality/value– The literature is scant, if even existent, on research that investigates the identity theft offending behaviors of juveniles.

Post-birth separation affects the affiliative behaviour of kin in a pitviper with maternal attendance

The relatedness of individuals can have pronounced effects on behavioural interactions, as engaging in mutually beneficial behaviours with kin can increase inclusive fitness. Parental care can be particularly important for kin discrimination in birds and mammals, but similar studies have not been conducted on species exhibiting more rudimentary forms of care. Maternal attendance of young is ubiquitous among viviparous temperate pitvipers, but the adaptive value of this behaviour has received little attention. We sought to determine if being deprived of a maternal attendance period as neonates altered how cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus Lacépède), a common North American pitviper, responded to kin vs. non-kin. We measured the affiliative behaviour of related and unrelated juvenile–juvenile and mother–juvenile pairs that had been allowed a maternal attendance period or had been separated since birth. We found that maternal attendance was not required for sibling or mother–offspring recognition, but did enhance female affiliative behaviour overall, and particularly that of sisters. In contrast, related juveniles that were separated at birth showed a reversal of the sex-specific affiliative behaviour observed in maternally attended juveniles. Post-birth separation had only a modest effect on mother–juvenile affiliative behaviour, and no effect on the strong affiliation between mothers and daughters. The patterns of affiliative behaviour observed in maternally attended snakes corresponded to patterns that have emerged from previous captive and field studies of pitvipers; however, the behaviour of juveniles separated at birth was atypical. Thus, it is possible that maternal attendance plays some role in the development of adaptive sex-specific and kin-directed affiliative behaviour in pitvipers.

Dopamine D4 receptor genotype variation in free-ranging rhesus macaques and its association with juvenile behavior

A polymorphism in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene has been associated with significant variation in behavioral impulsivity, novelty-seeking, and risk-taking in humans and other animals. Rhesus macaques are an excellent animal model for research on the genetic basis of behavior using the candidate gene approach. Little is known, however, about allelic variation in DRD4 in large free-ranging populations of rhesus macaques and how this allelic variation relates to emotion regulation and behavior. In this study, we genotyped for the DRD4 polymorphism 178 individuals of different age and sex categories in the free-ranging rhesus macaque population on the island of Cayo Santiago, PR. Moreover, we examined the possible association between DRD4 allelic variation and three measures of juvenile behavior (time spent in proximity to the mother, avoidance of other individuals, and behavioral restlessness). Five different DRD4 alleles (5R, 5.5R, 6R, 6.5R, and 7R) were identified in the subject population. The most common allele was the 5R allele (78.5%), followed by the 7R allele (16.1%). Juveniles carrying the long form of the DRD4 allele (7R) spent less time in proximity to their mothers, avoided other individuals more often, and scored higher on behavioral restlessness than juveniles carrying the shorter alleles. Behavioral restlessness was also influenced by maternal DRD4 genotype. These results highlight both similarities and differences in the relative occurrence of DRD4 alleles and their association with behavior in this rhesus macaque population, other nonhuman primate species or populations, and humans.

RECURRENCE OF THEFTS IN THE SYSTEM OF ACQUISITIVE CRIMES AND ITS PREVENTION

The article focuses on the status of acquisitive crimes in Russia, including the territory of the Siberian Federal district. The article presents points of views of different scientists, makes the analysis of criminal cases considered by the Octyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk in 2011-2014 against perpetrators of repeated thefts, describes the main types of thefts in the Russian Federation and their share in the overall structure of crimes, reflects the main reasons for their occurrence and objects of theft, analyzes the thefts of other people’s properties committed in complicity, as well as crimes that have not been completed for reasons not depending on criminals, i.e. attempted crimes. The article proposes effective measures to prevent theft, both at the level of the state and of the victims, includes recommendations for the protection of houses from burglars. It is recommended to revive by the government the pioneering institute in the primary education system of the country, to revive the national ideology and the devotion to the Homeland, law and society, conscientious attitude to labour and public property, the development of spiritual culture, to organize leisure and instill moral and ethical norms of behavior of juveniles.

Social behavior in non-human primate infants and juveniles following administration of thimerosal-containing vaccines

Social behavior in non-human primate infants and juveniles following administration of thimerosal-containing vaccines

Alteration of juvenile rat emotional behavior and social play following preweanling exposure to inhibitors of FAAH

Alteration of juvenile rat emotional behavior and social play following preweanling exposure to inhibitors of FAAH

The Sufistic Character Education according to Ibn ‘Aṭāillāh al-Sakandarī and It’s Implementation in Educational Institution in Indonesia to Spread Prace in the World: An Analytical Study on al-Ḥikam al-‘Aṭāiyyah

Indonesia is now facing various problems such as moral degradation, corruption, deceitfulness in schools and juvenile delinquency behavior. All of these require a solution. Most education experts argue that the Sufi-style education is one of ways to solve the moral problem. Among them is Ibn Aṭāillāh al- Sakandarī who undeniably has a significant role in this field especially through his famous work, al-Ḥikam. This article tries to uncover how the role of his moral education. It uses descriptive analytical method, in which the author refers to Sufi works that talk about moral education particularly al-Ḥikam. The findings are: first, the Sufi-style moral education is one of moral education methods focusing on self-empowerment and purification. It is hoped to get an improvement and even reach the level of gnosis (ma’rifat) which is in turn able to spread peace in this world. Second, Ibn Athoillah is the Sufis master who has a major role in the improvement of his pupils moral, especially through his work, al-Ḥikam. Third, his thought on Sufistic education can be applied in four stages: teaching, best practice, habituation, and strengthening. Keywords: Ibn ‘Aṭāillāh al-Sakandarī; moral education; al- Ḥikam; mysticism

Seizure-like activity in a juvenile Angelman syndrome mouse model is attenuated by reducing Arc expression

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder arising from loss-of-function mutations in the maternally inherited copy of the UBE3A gene, and is characterized by an absence of speech, excessive laughter, cognitive delay, motor deficits, and seizures. Despite the fact that the symptoms of AS occur in early childhood, behavioral characterization of AS mouse models has focused primarily on adult phenotypes. In this report we describe juvenile behaviors in AS mice that are strain-independent and clinically relevant. We find that young AS mice, compared with their wild-type littermates, produce an increased number of ultrasonic vocalizations. In addition, young AS mice have defects in motor coordination, as well as abnormal brain activity that results in an enhanced seizure-like response to an audiogenic challenge. The enhanced seizure-like activity, but not the increased ultrasonic vocalizations or motor deficits, is rescued in juvenile AS mice by genetically reducing the expression level of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein, Arc. These findings suggest that therapeutic interventions that reduce the level of Arc expression have the potential to reverse the seizures associated with AS. In addition, the identification of aberrant behaviors in young AS mice may provide clues regarding the neural circuit defects that occur in AS and ultimately allow new approaches for treating this disorder.

Animal personality and pace-of-life syndromes: do fast-exploring fairy-wrens die young?

The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis for animal personality proposes that variation among individuals in life-history strategies is associated with consistent differences in behavior. We tested predictions of this hypothesis in the superb fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus, by investigating long-term individual differences in risk-related behaviors (latency to enter a novel artificial environment, exploration, activity and response to mirror image stimulation) and survival. We found consistent differences between individuals in these behaviors (adjusted repeatability of exploration of artificial novel environment = 0.37). Individual differences were consistent over several years and bi-variate analyses showed a significant among-individual correlation (‘behavioral syndrome’) between exploration behavior at two life stages (young adult and old adult). Docility at the nestling stage predicted exploration behavior of juveniles. Behavioral traits measured in a risky context were correlated with one another, forming a behavioral syndrome of coping strategies ranging from ‘proactive’ to ‘reactive’. Nestlings that were more active and exploratory in isolation were less docile during handling, while adults that entered the artificial environment fast were more exploratory, active, and aggressive in the artificial environment. Exploration behavior increased within individuals as they aged and when they were in poorer condition, consistent with expectations of more risk-prone behavior with lower residual reproductive value (reduced ‘asset protection’). Risk-related behavior predicted the probability of apparent survival: more exploratory individuals were less likely to be present in the population twelve months later. Our findings suggest that, consistent with the predictions of the POLS hypothesis, individual variation in survival is associated with consistent individual differences in risk-related behavior that are maintained long-term and span developmental boundaries.

Biological and Psychological Theories of Juveniles Delinquency in the United States

Biological and psychological factors play an important andsometimes decisive role in aggressive behavior of juveniles and adults, which leadsto committing various crimes against life and health of individuals. ContemporaryAmerican criminologists widely use the achievements of geneticists, biochemists,neurologists and point out on importance of their knowledge. Unfortunately,scientific works of foreign scientists are little known in Ukraine.Recent research and publication analysis. American theories of the juveniledelinquency causation are considered in the works such post Soviet scholars as O.Vedernikova, Y. Gilinskiy, I. Danshin, V. Tulyakov, S. Denisov, S.Nezhurbida andothers.Paper objectives. Systematization of the classical biological andpsychological theories of juvenile delinquency that widespread in the United States.A brief description of the main theories that have the greatest impact on thedevelopment of measures to juvenile delinquency prevention.Paper main part.Modern criminologists believe there are some biological factors increases theprobability of individuals engaging in illegal acts, but denying hard determinismbetween these phenomena. They tend to consider biological factors, social conditionsand the environment as a reason that jointly affect human behavior. Biosocialtheories focus primarily on the problem: why previously law-abiding citizens"suddenly" commit crimes, and those, who had in past criminal history are worthymembers of society. However, biosocial theories subjected to serious criticism fromthe scientific community to lack of sufficient empirical data.Psychological approaches of explanation delinquency used quite extensivelyby American criminologists. Representatives of social science have emphasized theimportance of this area of knowledge. Special prevention programs for juveniles,based on these psychological concepts, developed and implemented in the UnitedStates.Conclusions of the research. Domestic criminologists, representatives ofother sciences not studied enough bio psychological component of juvenile forfurther consideration and synthesis of different behavioral actions of the persondepending on his bio psychological peculiarities. As a result, in the practical activitiesof prevention of juvenile delinquency are not captured in complex anatomical andphysiological, genetic, neuro-brain and other properties of the child's body, which inthe early formation of the personality become critical.

Feeding behavior and aggression in wild Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu) living under low predation risk.

Investigating which factors influence feeding competition is crucial for our understanding of the diversity of social relationships. Socio-ecological models differ in their predictions whether predation risk directly influences feeding competition and which factors exactly predict contest competition. We investigated feeding competition in Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu), a species endemic to Siberut Island (West Sumatra, Indonesia). Siberut macaques experience low predation risk, as major predators (felids, raptors) are absent. They are therefore appropriate subjects to test the prediction that low predation risk reduces feeding competition. To estimate contest potential, we quantified size, spatial distribution and density of food plants, and the availability of alternative resources. We recorded behavior in food patches using a modified focal tree method. Food patches, sorted by decreasing average feeding group size, included large trees (40% of focal plant observations), lianas/strangler (16%), medium trees (9%), small (palm) trees (20%), and rattan (15%). Most food patches were clumped but occurred at low densities relative to the area of average group spread. Thus, availability of alternative food patches was low. Although food patch characteristics indicate high contest potential, the observed aggression rate (0.13 bouts between adults/h) was low relative to other primates. Average feeding group size was small relative to total group size, and feeding group size matched crown volume. Perceived predation risk was low, based on spatial and feeding behavior of juveniles. Together, these results suggest that predation risk may influence feeding competition. Social and temporal factors (patch feeding time), but not ecological factors (fruit abundance in patch and forest, alternative resources) predicted aggression frequency in food patches. Overall, comparative data are still relatively scarce, and researchers should collect more data on group spread, sub-grouping, perceived predation risk, and aggression in food patches before we can draw final conclusions about the role of predation risk for feeding competition.