Male Delinquents Research Articles

The Effect of Social Support on Aggression Among Male Juvenile Delinquents in China: The Multiple Mediated Role of Trait Mindfulness and Self-Control/impulsivity

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine the relationship between social support and aggression among male juvenile delinquents and the mediating role of mindfulness and self-control/impulsivity. Methods A total of 530 male juvenile delinquents completed the Social Support Rating Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Self-Control Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Results The total effect of social support on aggression was significant (β= −0.24, p < 0.001, Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.38, −0.19]). Social support affected individual aggression through the following five paths: (1) social support → trait mindfulness → aggression (Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.07, −0.01]); (2) social support → self-control → aggression (Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.18, −0.08]); (3) social support →impulsivity → aggression (Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.12, −0.05]); (4) social support → trait mindfulness → self-control → aggression (Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.07, −0.01]); (5) social support → trait mindfulness →impulsivity → aggression (Bootstrap 95%CI[−0.03, −0.01]), indicating that these five mediating effects were significant. Conclusions It suggests that social support is associated with aggression among male juvenile delinquents. Social support is negatively correlated with aggression through multiple mediating effects of mindfulness, self-control, and impulsivity.

The Effect of Bystander Features on Displaced Aggression in Provocative Situations among Male Juvenile Delinquents.

Two studies were conducted to explore the influence of bystander features of displaced aggression in provocative situations among male juvenile delinquents. Study 1 examined the differences in displaced aggression between provoked male juvenile delinquents in the presence or absence of bystanders. The results revealed that provoked male juvenile delinquents exhibited significantly higher levels of displaced aggression when bystanders were present compared to when they were not. Study 2 further manipulated the bystanders' trigger level and investigated the differences in displaced aggression exhibited by provoked male juvenile delinquents towards highly versus lowly triggered bystanders. The results indicated that after low provocation, male juvenile delinquents exhibited significantly higher levels of displaced aggression towards highly triggered bystanders compared to lowly triggered bystanders. These findings demonstrated that male juvenile delinquents exhibited a high level of displaced aggression towards bystanders in provocative situations, particularly with highly triggered bystanders. This study supported the personality and social model of displaced aggression, emphasizing that bystanders, especially those with high triggers, were more likely to become targets of displaced aggression. The current study provides references for subsequent criminal rehabilitation and crime prevention.

Assessment of a Second-Order Multi-Problem Factor Model Involving Sexual Partners, Marijuana Use, and Post-Arrest Placement Among Persistent Male Adolescent Delinquents

ABSTRACT Problem-behavior theory suggests problem behaviors (e.g. substance use and delinquency) cluster among adolescents. This study explored a second-order problem behavior model of marijuana use, sexual partners, and post-arrest juvenile justice system placement among male adolescents over three waves. Results confirmed a second-order latent factor of problem behaviors, with male adolescents persistently involved in the juvenile justice system experiencing problems with marijuana use, risky sexual behavior, and increased severity of post-arrest placement. Further, older, Hispanic, African American, and urban persistent male delinquents were more likely to demonstrate continued problem behaviors. We discuss implications for future research and practice.

The prevalence and risk factors of conduct disorder among juvenile delinquents in China

Conduct disorders (CDs) are common in juvenile justice cases, but their prevalence varies across regions. It is useful to help people comprehend the incidence and risk factors for CDs in the judicial environment. To determine the prevalence of CDs among juvenile delinquents in China and explore the risk factors for CDs in terms of demographic characteristics, individual characteristics, and social environmental factors. A total of 545 male juvenile delinquents and 297 typically developed adolescents from China were recruited for this study. The Conduct Disorder Screening Form was used to assess the symptoms of CD, and related measurements, including the Demographic Questionnaire, Short-Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran for Chinese (s-EMBU-C), the Short Form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Parental Monitoring Scale, the Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS), were carried out. Among the juvenile delinquents, 58.7% met the symptoms of CD, with adolescent-onset CD accounting for 90.94% of these cases. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of CD between the criminal group and the illegal group, but the criminal group scored higher on aggression than the illegal group. The adolescents with CDs differed from the typically developed adolescents in demographic characteristics, parenting style, individual characteristics, and deviant peer affiliation. Discriminant analysis revealed that deviant peer affiliation had the greatest impact on the CDs of adolescents (structural matrix = 0.85), followed by the level of parental monitoring and moral disengagement. CD is widespread in Chinese juvenile delinquents. CD symptoms differ between criminal and illegal juvenile delinquents. Risk factors such as deviant peer affiliation, inadequate parental monitoring, moral disengagement, and low parental warmth all contribute to the high prevalence of CD.

Personal and Social Identity among Estonian Male Juvenile Delinquents: Descriptive Analysis

Personal and Social Identity among Estonian Male Juvenile Delinquents: Descriptive Analysis

Relationship between Perceived Maternal Rejection and Neuroticism Delinquency Risk Trait among Female Juvenile Delinquents in Selected Rehabilitation Institutions in Kenya

Juvenile delinquency has been a major problem in most parts of the world including Kenya due to its complexities attributed to its dynamic nature among different categories of children. Gender-based delinquency prevalence studies have identified female juvenile delinquency to be a developing key delinquency challenge as compared to male juvenile delinquency. In addition, research indicates that female juvenile delinquents are more prone to mental health problems attributed to incarceration experiences as compared to male juvenile delinquents. The need to focus more on female juvenile delinquency risk and protective factors studies is thus crucial so as to unravel the prevailing juvenile female delinquency complexities. The purpose of the study was therefore to examine the relationship between perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism delinquency risk trait among female juvenile delinquents in selected rehabilitation institutions in Kenya. Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) was identified to be the key theory that provided the theoretical framework for this study. The research was a correlational study and employed a survey research design in data collection. The study involved 186 female juvenile delinquents incarcerated in selected rehabilitation institutions in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select the three government girls’ rehabilitation institutions in Kenya involved in this study. Maternal Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire and Neuroticism Questionnaire were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 25 aided in the analysis of quantitative data. To establish the levels of perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism, the data were subjected to descriptive statistics analysis for calculations of percentages, means and frequencies. The data was also subjected to inferential statistical analysis and employed Spearman’s Rank correlation to establish the relationship between maternal rejection and neuroticism. The analyzed data was then presented in form of tables. The study findings indicated that the participants perceived more of maternal rejection than acceptance (M = 163.8) and significantly high levels of neuroticism (M = 28.33). The study found that there was a moderate positive correlation between the perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism [rs(186) = .565, p &lt; .001] among its participants. Understanding of this relationship and its moderators can help in designing accurate female juvenile delinquency prevention and treatment programs.

The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on High-risk Behaviors of Delinquent Adolescents in a Juvenile Detention Center

Introduction: A juvenile detention center is a place where teenagers with risky behaviors, such as competitiveness, separation from family, impatience, aggression, physical abuse, suicide, addiction, and theft, are kept to be corrected and trained. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can greatly reduce high-risk behaviors in these individuals. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of ACT on the risk-taking behaviors of delinquents in a juvenile detention center. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 60 male juvenile delinquents aged 12-18 years in a juvenile detention center in Southeast Iran. The participants were recruited by the census method and assigned to the intervention and control groups (30 in each group) using simple random sampling. The participants in the intervention group attended eight 90-min sessions of ACT, and the participants in the control group received routine training in the center. Iranian adolescents’ risk-taking scale was used to assess the risk-taking of samples before and one month after the ACT intervention. The study data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test, paired-samples t-test, chi-square test, and the analysis of covariance). Results: Most adolescents in the intervention and control groups were in the age group of 16-20 years (96.7%, and 93.3%, respectively) and had a middle school degree (56.7%, and 40%, respectively). A comparison of the mean risk-taking behaviors scores in the intervention (56.53±11.4) and the control groups (57.28±11.18) showed that the participants in both groups were engaged in high-risk behaviors and were similar. However, in the post-test stage, the mean risk-taking behaviors score in the intervention group decreased (39.64±10.26) compared with the control group (56.31±11.5) with a significant intergroup difference (P&lt;0.05). Also, the Mean±SD risk-taking scores after the intervention were higher than the control group calculated by the covariance analysis for the intervention group participants. These differences were statistically significant (Cohen’s d=15.24, 95% CI, 10.91%-19.56%). Conclusion: According to the results, ACT reduced high-risk behaviors in juvenile delinquents. Thus, such psychological interventions can be performed to reduce high-risk behaviors in vulnerable groups such as adolescents in juvenile detention centers. Also, the effectiveness of these interventions can be evaluated in longitudinal studies.

Relationship between Harsh Parenting and Aggressive Behaviors in Male Juvenile Delinquents: Potential Mediating Roles of Peer Victimization and Hostile Attribution Bias.

Harsh parenting can be regarded as a harsh behaviors, feelings, and attitudes toward children in the process of parenting. According to the theory of intergenerational transmission of violence, harsh parenting is an important factor affecting children's aggressive behavior, but the theory does not clarify the specific action path between harsh parenting and aggressive behavior. In order to reveal the relationship between harsh parenting and the aggressive behavior of juvenile delinquents, 604 male juvenile delinquents (N = 604; Mage = 16.57 years; SD = 0.612 years) were investigated using the Harsh Parenting Questionnaire, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale, and the Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Hostility in Chinese. Analysis using structural equation modeling procedures showed that (a) all variables were positively associated with each other; (b) the partial indirect effect of harsh parenting on aggressive behaviors was determined through the mediators of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias independently; and (c) the partial indirect effect was determined through the mediators of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias sequentially. The results suggest that harsh parenting can explain the highly aggressive behavior of male juvenile delinquents. Moreover, harsh parenting may also predict the risk of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias, thereby predicting the development of highly aggressive behaviors.

Exploring the Juvenile Delinquency Involvements of Former Young Male Juvenile Delinquents

In recent years, the incidence of juvenile delinquency has been increasing, posing a threat to the well-being of families and society. This urges the understanding of the involvement in delinquent behaviours among young male juvenile delinquents. The main objective of this study was to explore juvenile delinquent involvement among former young male juvenile delinquents. A phenomenology qualitative research design was utilised to explore the participants’ lived experiences and their involvement in juvenile delinquency. Eight (8) former young male juvenile delinquents aged 26 years old and below participated in this research. The non-probability sampling technique of snowball sampling was utilised to select the participants. An intake form was administered to obtain the participants’ socio-demographic information. A semi-structured interview questions were used to explore the participants’ involvement in juvenile delinquency. The analysis of the data collected from former young male juvenile delinquents using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed several themes that led to such delinquent behaviours; namely, lucrative business, recidivism, and peer pressure. The results indicate that the participants’ initial involvement was influenced by their social circle or peer group, the challenges of relapse, and the advantages they gained from their unlawful conduct. The analysis of the results helps us determine the need for early intervention in order to prevent the increasing percentage of juvenile delinquency among adolescents in Malaysia.

Emotional Recognition Training Enhances Attention to Emotional Stimuli Among Male Juvenile Delinquents.

Juvenile delinquents have deficits in emotional recognition that might play a critical role in the development of aggression. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional recognition training and its consequences on emotional attention and aggression. Seventy-three male juvenile delinquents were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was the modification group, which received eight days of training on an emotional recognition task. The purpose of the training was to modify interpretative biases in emotion recognition to encourage the perception of happiness over anger in ambiguous expressions. The other group was the waitlist group, which did not perform a task and continued with their usual programme. Before and after the training, participants completed the aggression questionnaire (AQ) and two behavioural tasks, including the emotional recognition task and a visual search task with happy and angry faces as targets. The modification group recognized more faces as happy after emotional recognition training than the waitlist group. Furthermore, the hostility in the modification group decreased significantly. Importantly, emotional recognition training further affected attention to emotional faces as participants responded faster in searching for happy and angry faces after training. Emotional recognition training could modify juvenile delinquents' emotional recognition, enhance their visual attention to emotional faces and reduce hostility.

World of Colours for Boys behind the Walls: Malaysian prison library perspectives

Colour reflects our emotions and psychology. This fieldwork qualitative study is to explore the relationship between colour in the prison library with the juvenile delinquents emotional, psychology and interest. Data were collected using field interview with 20 male juvenile delinquents living in one of the correctional schools in Peninsular Malaysia. Our field interview has led us to conclude that the male juvenile delinquents are very interested in colours available in the library, especially with the library's collection of materials/books. The findings in this research are helpful in preparing the best prison library that can contribute to forming the perceptual space and will benefit the juvenile delinquents ’learning emotions, the process of thinking, psychological health and aesthetic conception Keywords: Male Juvenile Delinquents; Prison Library; Fieldwork; Malaysia. eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behavior Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioral Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behavior Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

The Jack-Roller and the Life History Method: Notes on the Chicago School’s Clifford Shaw and Howard Becker’s Humanistic Narrative of Young Male and Female Delinquents in Different Ages

Clifford Shaw’s (1930) The Jack-Roller is a landmark study of naturalism, ethnography and crime. It is the ‘own story’ of Stanley—a young delinquent in Chicago. Shaw’s series of ethnographic studies on delinquency sought to humanize deviance in opposition to pathological understandings of delinquency. The article looks on the representation of crimes committed and punishment received by young male and female delinquents. Shaw’s argument focuses on structural inequalities and poverty as the cause of deviance; as a result, female delinquency was not explained by sexual promiscuity, although he failed to recognize young women’s vulnerabilities. The second edition of The Jack-Roller introduced by Howard Becker (1966, Introduction. The Jack-Roller: A delinquent boy’s own story, pp. v–xviii) redefined Shaw’s study within the symbolic interactionist tradition. From the 1950s, Shaw and Becker disagreed over the writing of the deviant’s ‘own story,’ the control of the narrative and the authorial voice. The article adds to the literature on narrative, female deviance and youth delinquency.

Neuroticism and Juvenile Delinquents

The study was intended to find out the effectiveness of eclectic counseling in reducing the neuroticism level of juvenile delinquents. The sample for the study was 47 convicted juveniles from Tamilnadu, India. All the samples were boys. Purposive sampling design was used. Demographic datasheet and Eysenck personality questionnaire for juniors were used for the study. Based on the test results, eclectic counselling was provided for a period of three months and the participants were assessed again. Before intervention, the mean value of neuroticism among the juvenile delinquents is 12.51 which is interpreted as high. Eclectic counseling was provided after analyzing the causes of their neurotic behavior. After intervention, the mean value of neuroticism has reduced to 6.36 and the t value was 13.302, indicating significant level of reduction in the level of neuroticism. Thus, the study showed the prevalence of high level of neuroticism among the male juvenile delinquents and the eclectic counselling is effective in reducing the neuroticism level.

The Influence of Parenting Style on Male Juvenile Delinquency: A Case of Kamiti Youth Correction and Training Center (KYCTC), Kiambu County, Kenya

The rising cases of delinquency among male teenagers is a feedback of sorts that the family system that is the nurturing context of children has failed to effectively protect the teenagers against negative influences. The scenario, has brought the nurturing role of parents into sharp focus. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of the parenting styles on male juvenile delinquency at the Kamiti Youth Correction and Training Center (KYCTC), which is within Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by Baumrind’s parenting styles theory which categorizes parenting styles on the basis of responsiveness and demandingness in the parenting role. The study used purposive sampling method and simple random technique to select a sample of 68 males aged between 15 and 18 years from a target population of 120 delinquents at the KYCTC. The study used the ex post facto design. In this design data was collected through interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and self-administered questionnaire. Quantitative data collected through questionnaires was analyzed through descriptive statistics with the help of SPSS version 25.0 and qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings of the study indicated that authoritarian parenting style (42%) and permissive parenting style (29.4%) posed the greatest danger to the development of juvenile delinquency. On the other hand, authoritative parenting style (8.8%) posed the least danger to the development of juvenile delinquency. Presentation of data was done through tables, graphs and thematic descriptions of respondent’s statements. The findings point to the critical role the parenting style plays in the development or prevention of juvenile delinquency. Strengthening of the parenting role, coordination with other key influencers including teachers, Government Departments such as the Children’s Department and the Correctional Services, Rehabilitation Centers run by religious organizations and government rehabilitation programs such as KYCTC, can make a difference if each plays their critical role.

A Study on Trust in God in Juvenile Delinquents

Adolescence is a critical stage of life in the triangle of education, family, and peers for young people. During adolescence, young people might need to overcome many hassles and fluctuations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of trust in God and some variables such as education levels, mother’s literacy, family unity, drug addiction, having a close friend at the correctional facility, repetitive crime, and experience of running away from home in male juvenile delinquents. This study is an associational research and the population of the study was 500 male adolescents who were in the Ankara Sincan Youth Closed Prison and Correctional Center, Turkey. 389 male adolescents were selected from the research population through purposeful sampling as the sample. In this study, the attitudes of the sample were measured by the Scale of the Image of God. The questions were asked in a closed-ended way, and the data was analyzed by using the SPSS software (version 22). T-Test and ANOVA were utilized to compare the means. The data revealed that the levels of the trust in God of the adolescents differed depending on using addictive substances, repetitive crime, criminal peers, and education level. The male adolescents whose close friends were in prison, those who used drugs, those who were involved in repetitive crimes, and those who had a low education level had a lower level of trust in God than others. It has been deduced that the social environment of adolescents can be consequential in the development of religious perceptions, and that negative life experiences, as well as adverse social conditions, inhibit the development of trust in God.

Attentional variability and avoidance of hostile stimuli decrease aggression in Chinese male juvenile delinquents

BackgroundAs a prominent issue worldwide, juveniles’ aggressive and violent crimes have attracted much interest in recent years. Based on the social information processing model, the present study aimed to evaluate the Chinese male juvenile delinquents’ attention bias towards hostile stimuli from both static and dynamic perspectives. Additionally, the predictive effect of attention bias on aggressive behavior and the moderating effect of group (juvenile delinquents and the controls with no criminal history) were also investigated.MethodsThe hostile attention bias and aggressive behavior of 76 juvenile delinquents (Mage = 17.5 years, SD = 0.59 years) and 67 controls (Mage = 18.3 years, SD = 0.73 years) were measured with the emotional dot-probe task, emotional Stroop task, and the Chinese version of the Buss & Perry aggression questionnaire, respectively.ResultsThe results showed that compared with controls, juvenile delinquents showed more attention biases towards hostile faces and words, and demonstrated higher levels of physical aggression and anger. Furthermore, the type of participants moderated the relationship between hostile attention bias and aggressive behavior. For juvenile delinquents, attention bias away from hostile stimuli and attention variability negatively predicted anger, while for controls, attention variability positively predicted self-directed aggression.ConclusionAttentional variability and avoidance of hostile stimuli are expected to reduce the aggressive level of Chinese male juvenile delinquents. The relationship between attention bias and aggression should be further considered and applied in the clinical practice.

Modification of hostile interpretation bias and self-reported aggression in juvenile delinquents: A randomized controlled trial

Background/ObjectiveThe social information processing model holds that aggressive behavior is closely related to the hostile interpretation of ambiguous social cues, suggesting the possibility that an intervention that reduces hostile interpretations could reduce aggression. This study in Mainland China evaluated the remediating effects of cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) on the hostile interpretation bias and self-reported aggressive behaviors of male juvenile delinquents, taking into account initial hostile interpretation bias as a possible moderator of the intervention effect. MethodFifty-six male juvenile delinquents aged 16-18 were recruited and randomly assigned to the CBM-I group (n = 28) or the Waiting-List group (n = 28). Interpretation bias and self-reported aggressive behavior were assessed at pre-test and post-test. ResultsThe positive interpretations of participants in the CBM-I group were significantly increased compared with participants in the Waiting-List group. The intervention effect of CBM-I on self-reported physical aggression was significant only for juvenile delinquents with high pre-test hostile interpretation bias. ConclusionsCBM-I can significantly improve the positive interpretation bias of juvenile delinquents, and reduce the self-reported physical aggression for some male juvenile delinquents. The results have implications for providing low-cost and high-efficiency intervention for juvenile delinquents’ self-reported aggression behavior.

Are the Criminogenic Effects of Incarceration Mediated by a Change in Criminal Thinking or a Change in Perceived Certainty?

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a change in criminal thinking or a change in perceived certainty mediates the putative criminogenic effect of incarceration. A path analysis of 1,170 male delinquents revealed that incarceration prior to age 19 produced a negative rather than positive effect on offending behavior at age 20, although it did predict an increase in proactive criminal thinking (PCT) from age 18 to age 19. PCT, in turn, predicted a rise in past year offending. Perceived certainty of punishment, on the other hand, failed to mediate the effect of incarceration on future offending.

P.211 Do impulsivity and negative life events have a significant role in non-suicidal self injury among juvenile male delinquents?

P.211 Do impulsivity and negative life events have a significant role in non-suicidal self injury among juvenile male delinquents?

Childhood Maltreatment Is Associated With Aggression Among Male Juvenile Delinquents in China: The Mediating Effects of Callous-Unemotional Traits and Self-Control

Background: Aggression is an important risk factor for delinquency and crime in adolescents. Previous studies have indicated that childhood maltreatment plays an important role in the development of aggression. However, whether the effect could be mediated by other factors is still unknown. Evidence suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits and self-control may be candidate mediators in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggression.Methods: A total of 585 male juvenile delinquents from China were recruited for the present study. We measured self-reported childhood maltreatment, CU traits, self-control, and aggression with the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), respectively. Furthermore, we constructed multiple mediation models to investigate the mediating effects of CU traits and self-control on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggression. Childhood maltreatment and aggression were entered into the model as the independent and dependent variables, respectively, and CU traits and self-control were treated as the mediating variables. In addition, the moderating role of self-control in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggression was tested by constructing a moderation model.Results: Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations among childhood maltreatment, CU traits, and aggression (all r values > 0.31, P values < 0.01), and self-control was negatively correlated with these three factors (all r values < −0.32, P values < 0.01). Mediation analyses showed that the relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggression was completely and sequentially mediated by the factors of CU traits and self-control (indirect effect = 0.31, P < 0.001). In addition, the relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggression could also be completely mediated by CU traits (indirect effect = 0.24, P < 0.001) and self-control (indirect effect = 0.26, P < 0.001) separately.Conclusion: Our results indicate that, in a sample of male juvenile delinquents in China, the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent aggression was found to be mediated by CU traits and self-control, which may shed light on the development of aggression among male juvenile delinquents.