Online Delinquent Behaviors of Adolescents: Parents as Potential "Influencers"?

In this study we examined whether aspects of parental monitoring of adolescents' online behavior (rules regarding time spent on the internet, rules regarding content of internet use, frequency of communication, and quality of communication about internet use) are related to different kinds of online delinquent behaviors (sexting, spreading viruses, DDoS attacking, hacking, and online threatening) and whether the level of adolescents' problematic (addictive) internet use mediates these relations. In regular Dutch high schools 1,009 adolescents filled out an online questionnaire (with adjusted versions of the ISPP, PIUQ, and the Dutch Youth Crime Monitor). Descriptive statistics showed that, in general, parents do not seem to monitor adolescents' online behavior to a great extent. Furthermore, results of logistic regression analyses and mediation tests showed that fewer rules about online time, more rules about online content, and a good quality of parent-adolescent communication about online behavior are all associated with lower problematic internet use, which in turn is associated with lower odds of several online delinquent behaviors (mediation). Moreover, parental handling of rules about online content is also directly associated with lower odds of spreading viruses, hacking, and online threat.

The care of Filipino juvenile offenders in residential facilities evaluated using the risk-need-responsivity model.

According to the risk-need-responsivity model of offender, assessment and rehabilitation treatment should target specific factors that are related to re-offending. This study evaluates the residential care of Filipino juvenile offenders using the risk-need-responsivity model. Risk analyses and criminogenic needs assessments (parenting style, aggression, relationships with peers, empathy, and moral reasoning) have been conducted using data of 55 juvenile offenders in four residential facilities. The psychological care has been assessed using a checklist. Statistical analyses showed that juvenile offenders had a high risk of re-offending, high aggression, difficulties in making pro-social friends, and a delayed socio-moral development. The psychological programs in the residential facilities were evaluated to be poor. The availability of the psychological care in the facilities fitted poorly with the characteristics of the juvenile offenders and did not comply with the risk-need-responsivity model. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Relationship Between the Level of Program Integrity and Pre- and Post-Test Changes of Responsive-Aggression Regulation Therapy (Re-ART) Outpatient: A Pilot Study.

Responsive-Aggression Regulation Therapy (Re-ART) Outpatient is a cognitive behavioral-based intervention for adolescents and young adults (16-24 years) with severe aggressive behavioral problems. This pilot study (N = 26) examined the level of program integrity (PI; that is, the delivery of the intervention as it is originally intended) of Re-ART. We also investigated the pre- and post-test changes in several outcome variables, and the relation between the level of PI and these changes. Participants were recruited from three different outpatient forensic settings. Results showed that the PI of half of the treatments was not sufficient (e.g., the intensity of the program was too low and some standard modules were not offered). In addition, this pilot study demonstrated that sufficient PI was related to positive changes in aggression, cognitive distortions, social support, coping (reported by therapist), and distrust (responsiveness to treatment).

Sexual abuse involving children with an intellectual disability (ID): a narrative review.

The current paper provides a narrative review of the literature on sexual abuse, involving children with Intellectual Disability (ID). The thirteen articles that were found and met our criteria vary in their definitions of sexual abuse and in how ID was determined. Still, they do paint a general picture concerning (1) the extent of sexual abuse, (2) the nature of the sexual abuse, and (3) the institutional reactions following sexual abuse of children with ID. Our findings confirm the greater vulnerability of children with ID to become involved in sexual abuse both as a victim and as a perpetrator, and we discuss ways to help strengthening prevention and intervention methods. Nevertheless, more research is needed, as it is still a rather unexplored topic, which is striking in light of the high vulnerability of this group.

Delinquent behavior, poor relationship quality with parents, and involvement with deviant peers in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents: different processes, informant bias, or both?

The aim of this study was to determine whether two risk factors that are frequently selected as targets for prevention and intervention purposes-involvement with deviant peers and parent-adolescent relationship quality-are associated with delinquent behavior in the same way in a juvenile general population sample (n = 88) as in a juvenile offender sample (n = 85). Information on delinquency and the quality of parent-adolescent relationship was obtained from adolescents and parents. The results of path analyses showed that relations between poor parent-adolescent relationship quality, involvement with deviant peers, and delinquency depended on whose point of view is used (adolescent or parent) and which sample is used (general population or delinquent sample). These findings indicate that caution is warranted when theories based on research with community samples are used for development of intervention programs for juvenile delinquents.

Moral orientation and relationships in school and adolescent pro- and antisocial behaviors: a multilevel study.

This multilevel study examined the relationships between moral climate factors and prosocial as well as antisocial behaviors inside and outside the school (school misconduct, delinquent behavior, and vandalism). The moral climate factors were punishment- and victim-based moral orientation, relationships among students, and teacher-student relationships. The analyses of data from 670 students in 69 classes showed that the classroom-level variables only had a significant impact on misconduct at school of students aged 12 to 20. For the other outcome variables, the student-level variables (student and teacher-student relationships, but especially students' moral orientation) were significant. A novel finding was that a positive teacher-student relationship not only proved to be related to less misconduct inside the school but also to less delinquent behavior and vandalism outside the school. This indicates that the teacher is an important socializing agent for adolescent behavior in general.

Staff's attitudes and reactions towards aggressive behaviour of clients with intellectual disabilities: a multi-level study.

Data were collected from 121 staff members (20 direct support staff teams) on background characteristics of the individual staff members and their teams (gender, age, years of work experience, position and education), the frequency and form of aggression of clients with an intellectual disability (verbal or physical), staff members' attitudes towards aggression, and the types of behavioural interventions they executed (providing personal space and behavioural boundary-setting, restricting freedom and the use of coercive measures). Additionally, client group characteristics (age of clients, type of care and client's level of intellectual disability) were assessed. Multilevel analyses (individual and contextual level) were performed to examine the relations between all studied variables and the behavioural interventions. The results showed that for providing personal space and behavioural boundary-setting as well as for restricting freedom, the proportion of variance explained by the context (staff team and client group characteristics) was three times larger than the proportion of variance explained by individual staff member characteristics. For using coercive measures, the context even accounted for 66% of the variance, whereas only 8% was explained by individual staff member characteristics. A negative attitude towards aggression of the direct support team as a whole proved to be an especially strong predictor of using coercive measures. To diminish the use of coercive measures, interventions should therefore be directed towards influencing the attitude of direct support teams instead of individual staff members.

Associations among the parent-adolescent relationship, aggression and delinquency in different ethnic groups: a replication across two Dutch samples.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study is to examine whether the patterns of association between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship on the one hand, and aggression and delinquency on the other hand, are the same for boys and girls of Dutch and Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands. Since inconsistent results have been found previously, the present study tests the replicability of the model of associations in two different Dutch samples of adolescents. METHOD: Study 1 included 288 adolescents (M age = 14.9, range 12-17 years) all attending lower secondary education. Study 2 included 306 adolescents (M age = 13.2, range = 12-15 years) who were part of a larger community sample with oversampling of at risk adolescents. RESULTS: Multigroup structural analyses showed that neither in Study 1 nor in Study 2 ethnic or gender differences were found in the patterns of associations between support, autonomy, disclosure, and negativity in the parent-adolescent relationship and aggression and delinquency. The patterns were largely similar for both studies. Mainly negative quality of the relationship in both studies was found to be strongly related to both aggression and delinquency. DISCUSSION: Results show that family processes that affect adolescent development, show a large degree of universality across gender and ethnicity.

Ethnic identity, externalizing problem behaviour and the mediating role of self-esteem among Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents.

The present study examined whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between two aspects of ethnic identity (i.e. ethnic identity exploration and ethnic identity commitment-affirmation) and externalizing problem behaviour in Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents living in the Netherlands. A total number of 345 adolescents (115 Dutch, 115 Turkish-Dutch, 115 Moroccan-Dutch) with a mean age of 14.5 filled in questionnaires at school. Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents reported higher levels of both aspects of ethnic identity than their native Dutch counterparts, but there were no ethnic differences in self-esteem and externalizing problem behaviour. Only in the Moroccan-Dutch group was support found for the mediational model: stronger ethnic identity commitment-affirmation was related to a higher level of self-esteem, which, in turn, was related to a lower level of externalizing problem behaviour.

The role of family and peer relations in adolescent antisocial behaviour: comparison of four ethnic groups.

The dominant theories about the development of antisocial behaviour during adolescence are based almost entirely on research conducted with mainstream, white, middle-class adolescents. The present study addresses this significant gap in the literature by examining whether the same model of family and peer influence on antisocial behaviour is applicable to adolescents belonging to different ethnic groups. The sample included 603 adolescents (318 females and 285 males) from four ethnic groups: 68% of adolescents were Dutch, 11% were Moroccan, 13% were Turkish and 8% were Surinamese. The questionnaires assessing antisocial behaviour, quality of parent-adolescent relationship and involvement with deviant peers were completed by adolescents individually at schools. Results show few ethnic differences in the mean level of the assessed constructs: adolescents from different ethnic groups show similar levels of antisocial behaviour, are to a similar degree satisfied with their relationships with parents, disclose as much information to them, and do not differ in their involvement with deviant peers. However, the associations of parent and peer relations with antisocial behaviour differed across the ethnic groups.