Emotional and Behavioral Factors Relating Adolescent Delinquency in Community

Song, Dong Ho; Sung, Jong Ho; Song, Jung Eun

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to investigate predictive emotional and behavioral factors of adolescent delinquents among students.
METHODS
We assessed and analyzed 1377 students aged 13-18 using the following instruments: Center for Epidemiologic Study for Depression (CES-D), Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), Youth Self Report (YSR), Psychological self-1 of Offer's Self Image Questionnaire (PS-1 of OSIQ) and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). With collected data we compared the delinquent group with the control group.
RESULTS
The prevalence of delinquent adolescents was 4.7%. The prevalence among of high school students was higher (8.7%) than that of middle school students (3.4%). Comparing with the control group, delinquent group showed significantly higher scores of CES-D (Delinquent 25.55 vs Control 13.07), RCMAS (Delinquent 15.60 vs Control 9.17), PS-1 of OSIQ (Delinquent 33.70 vs Control 28.87), SIQ (Delinquent 88.89 vs Control 46.89) and all subscales of YSR. Adolescent delinquency can be predicted in the order of RCMAS, Somatic complaints, CES-D and Withdrawn.
CONCLUSION
We found that both emotional and behavioral factors could predict adolescent delinquency in school community. Most potent predictor was anxiety. Additional predictors were neurotic characteristics such as somatic complaints, depressive symptoms and social withdrawal. It is hypothesized that early intervention of adolescent neuroticism may be able to prevent adolescent delinquency.