Background: Cigarette use is a public health issue and juvenile offenders are at risk for engagement in substance use. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to elevated risk for cigarette use and juvenile offenders are at elevated risk for mental health issues. Objectives: To elucidate general patterns of development of…

Aims: Previous research has documented a clear association between drinking alcohol and engaging in criminal activity. However, it is unclear how this relationship is formed and maintained in young people. Such knowledge could be instructive in the appropriate design and effectiveness of prevention and intervention strategies. The aim of the…

We tested whether parents can reduce affiliation with delinquent peers through 3 forms of peer management: soliciting information, monitoring rules, and communicating disapproval of peers. We examined whether peer management interrupted 2 peer processes: selection and influence of delinquent peers. Adolescents' feelings of being overcontrolled by…

The current study investigated gender differences in types and correlates of aggression among 150 adjudicated youth (M age = 15.2, SD = 1.4). In cluster analysis, consistent with past studies, one aggressive group characterized by moderate levels of reactive aggression and one characterized by high levels of proactive and reactive aggression…

Communities across the country have a vested interest in making sure that young people develop into healthy productive citizens and avoid behaviors that can jeopardize their own health and well-being and threaten the well-being of their families and neighborhoods as well. Substance abuse and delinquency are prime examples of behaviors that get in…

Background: While associations between conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and interpersonal callousness (IC) symptoms and delinquency onset are well established, less is known about whether these characteristics differentiate desisting and persisting delinquency. The current…

Research has supported the existence of distinct behavioral patterns, demographic correlates, and etiologic mechanisms for aggressive (AGG) versus nonaggressive but delinquent (DEL) antisocial behavior. Though behavioral genetic studies have the potential to further crystallize these dimensions, inconsistent results have limited their…

Research has consistently indicated that most offenders demonstrate diversity over the life course. Even so, recent work suggests that offenders tend to illustrate specialization in the short-term, though this specialization diminishes as the "time window" for examining an offending career increases. To examine why this pattern emerges, the…

Between 1975 and 1979, 98 percent of men identified as young children were retraced. Records for juvenile delinquency showed higher rates among abused, neglected, and rejected boys than those raised by loving parents. Alcoholism, divorce, and occupational success rates were similar among the four groups. Maternal self-confidence and education…

Examined the predictive significance of selected demographic, education, and behavioral variables in identifying potential offenders among mentally retarded juveniles. Results indicated the variables successfully discriminated between the adolescents, with mentally retarded offenders having a sibling with court referral, lower school attendance,…

Studied whether substance use, transgressive behavior, and delinquency were related to the quality of peer relations for 508 12- to 18-year-olds. Findings show that substance use and transgressive behavior are positively related to the quantity and quality of peer relations. (SLD)

Examined the aggressive response style of delinquents. Based on the interaction of perceptual, behavioral, and physiological factors, distinct aggression styles emerged. Positive aggression coping patterns were identified for each simulation task. The specificity of the present assessment techniques offers greater specificity in interventions for…

Sixty-five juvenile offenders in residential care completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, and their scores were matched for IQ and memory with those of 60 adult offenders. The juveniles gave in significantly more to interrogative pressure through negative feedback but were no more yielding to leading questions than adults. (JPS)

Studied relationship between gender and delinquency among inner-city adolescents (n=64) in court diversion program. Males were more likely to be referred for violations of law, to have been arrested, and to have engaged in aggressive offenses/selling drugs. Females were more likely to be referred because of status offenses. Gang membership had…

This paper develops some ideas in Matza's Neutralization Theory into a continuum containing four categories ranging from extreme goodness to rebellion. It was hypothesized that involvement in delinquency would increase progressively across these four categories. (Author/KC)