Sexism, Moral Disengagement, and Dark Triad Traits on Perpetrators of Sexual Violence Against Women and Community Men.

The field of criminal psychology involves delving into psychological profiles prone to accepting and justifying sexist attitudes that support sexual violence against adult women (SVAW). The aim of the current study is to analyze the mediating role of moral disengagement in the relationships between dark triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) and ambivalent sexism in a sample of 74 male perpetrators of sexual violence against women (M = 40.58; SD = 10.05) convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault and 160 community men (M = 43.54; SD = 10.63). Since there were no significant differences in the measured variables between individuals convicted of IPV and those convicted of sexual assault, these two groups were combined into a single group of perpetrators of sexual violence against women. A comparison of incarcerated and community men showed that perpetrators of sexual violence against women reported significantly higher levels of ambivalent sexism, moral disengagement, and psychopathy than community men. The moderated mediational model showed that the dark triad was not directly associated with ambivalent sexism, but the relationship was fully mediated by moral disengagement mechanisms. Moreover, the interdependence of the variables evaluated was moderated by group. The moral disengagement mechanisms that explain both hostile and benevolent sexism were associated with Machiavellianism and psychopathy among perpetrators of sexual violence against women, whereas among community men, these mechanisms were associated with Machiavellianism and narcissism. These findings are discussed as they pertain to the treatment of perpetrators of sexual violence against women.

Effectiveness of the Mantente REAL Program for Preventing Alcohol Use in Spanish Adolescents / La eficacia del programa “Mantente REAL” en la prevención del consumo de alcohol en adolescentes españoles

Mantente REAL is a school-based universal program to prevent drug use and other problematic behaviors specifically designed to be implemented in schools at the beginning of adolescence. This program, which is a culturally adapted version of the Keepin’ it REAL intervention, focuses on skills training for resisting social pressure to use drugs and improving psychosocial development. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mantente REAL on alcohol use in the Spanish context. The sample was composed of 755 adolescents from 12 state secondary schools in Spain, aged 11 to 15 (M = 12.24, SD = 0.56), 47.1% females. The 12 schools were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, six to each condition. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires data were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results indicated that a culturally adapted version of Mantente REAL was effective in preventing alcohol use among youth from northern and southern Spain. Students participating in the program demonstrated changes in the desired direction on alcohol frequency and intoxication episodes. Implications of these results regarding intervention programs aimed at preventing substance use in adolescence are discussed. (AU)

“Mantente REAL” es un programa universal que utiliza la escuela para prevenir el consumo de drogas y otras conductas problemáticas diseñado específicamente para ser implementado en las escuelas al comienzo de la adolescencia. Este programa, que es una versión culturalmente adaptada de la intervención Keepin’ it REAL, se centra en el entrenamiento de habilidades para resistir la presión social para consumir drogas y mejorar el desarrollo psicosocial. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la eficacia de “Mantente REAL” en el consumo de alcohol en el contexto español. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 755 adolescentes de 12 escuelas secundarias públicas en España, de 11 a 15 años (M = 12.24, DT = 0.56), el 47.1% mujeres. Las 12 escuelas fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a grupo control y experimental, seis en cada condición. Los datos se recopilaron a través de cuestionarios antes y después de la intervención para evaluar la eficacia del programa. Los resultados indicaron que la versión culturalmente adaptada de “Mantente REAL” fue eficaz para prevenir el consumo de alcohol entre los jóvenes del norte y sur de España. Los estudiantes que participaron en el programa demostraron cambios en la dirección deseada en la frecuencia del alcohol y los episodios de intoxicación. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados con respecto a los programas de intervención destinados a prevenir el consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia. (AU)

Longitudinal effects of parenting mediated by deviant peers on violent and non-violent antisocial behaviour and substance use in adolescence / Efectos longitudinales de las prácticas parentales mediados por los iguales desviados sobre el comportamiento antisocial violento y no violento y el consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia

The current work aimed to analyse the prospective effects of parenting practices on adolescent problematic behaviour taking into account the mediation effects of deviant affiliations in normative Spanish adolescents. For this purpose, a sample of 663 adolescents aged 12 to 15 (M = 12.49, SD = 0.68) and gender-balanced (54.3% male) were recruited from 13 state secondary schools in Galicia (NW Spain). Two structural equation models were tested separately on violent behaviour, nonviolent antisocial behaviour, and substance use: the parenting model analysed parental knowledge and parental support through deviant peers, and the sources model analysed adolescent disclosure, parental control, and parental solicitation through deviant peer affiliations. The results of the parenting model indicated that the effects of parental knowledge on all the types of problematic behaviour were significantly mediated by deviant peer affiliations. In addition, the direct effect of parental knowledge was significant on substance use for males. Regarding the sources model, the results indicated that the effects of adolescent disclosure were significantly mediated by deviant peer affiliations on all the types of problematic behaviour only for females. No significant effects of parental support, parental control, and parental solicitation were found. Methodological and practical implications of these findings are discussed

El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar los posibles efectos de las prácticas parentales sobre el comportamiento problemático en adolescentes españoles normativos, teniendo en cuenta los efectos de mediación de la afiliación con iguales desviados. Para ello, se utilizó una muestra de 663 adolescentes de 12 a 15 años (M = 12.49, DT = 0.68) equilibrada por género (54.3% varones) de 13 centros públicos de secundaria de Galicia (NO de España). Se analizaron dos modelos de ecuaciones estructurales por separado para conducta violenta, comportamiento antisocial no violento y consumo de sustancias: el modelo de crianza que analiza el conocimiento parental y el apoyo parental a través de los iguales desviados y el modelo de fuentes que analiza la autorrevelación adolescente, control parental y solicitud parental a través de la afiliación con iguales desviados. Los resultados del modelo de crianza indicaron que los efectos del conocimiento parental sobre todos los tipos de comportamiento problemático estuvieron significativamente mediados por la afiliación con iguales desviados. Además, el efecto directo del conocimiento parental fue significativo sobre el consumo de sustancias para los varones. Con respecto al modelo de fuentes, los resultados indicaron que solo para las mujeres los efectos de la autorrevelación adolescente estuvieron significativamente mediados por la afiliación con iguales desviados sobre todos los tipos de comportamiento problemático. No se encontraron efectos significativos del apoyo, el control y la solicitud parentales. Se discuten las implicaciones metodológicas y prácticas de estos hallazgos

Moral reasoning in adolescent offenders: A meta-analytic review.

BACKGROUND: Moral reasoning and its association with various types of behavior have been the subject of many studies in Psychology. Specifically, moral reasoning has been widely related to juvenile delinquency in the research about the subject. OBJECTIVES: this review integrates more than 70 years of scientific research into the differences in moral reasoning between adolescent offenders and non-offenders with a view to elucidating the relationship between moral reasoning and juvenile delinquency with provision for the potential moderating effect of demographic and methodological variables. METHOD: We conducted a meta-analytic review whose target population was young offenders between 11 and 20 years old. RESULTS: A search for literature on the target topic retrieved a total of 72 studies with a moderated effect size (r = -.336). The most salient finding was that effect sizes were significant for all subgroups of moderating variables. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests a powerful relationship between moral reasoning and officially recorded juvenile delinquency that cannot be exclusively ascribed to sociodemographic or methodological variables. There remain some unsolved challenges in this field, however, which are briefly commented on.

Psychopathic traits mediate the effects of neighbourhood risk on juvenile antisocial behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Research of the indirect effects of neighbourhood risk through psychopathic personality traits (i.e., impulsiveness, narcissism and callous-unemotional traits) on juvenile antisocial behaviour has become relevant. METHODS: In the current study, mediation effects were assessed using a sample composed of 406 young people between 14 and 21 years old, 82.7% males, from juvenile centres in Galicia and Andalucía (Spain). RESULTS: The results showed significant mediation effects of neighbourhood risk on antisocial behaviour through impulsiveness and callous-unemotional traits.  Conclusions: The implications of the mediation effects for prevention, risk assessment, and risk management in juvenile offenders are discussed.

Personalidad, género y criminalidad violenta en reclusos / Personality, gender and violent criminality in prison inmates

En este trabajo se analizan las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de Personalidad Antisocial (Antisocial Personality Questionnaire, APQ) desarrollado por Blackburn y Fawcett (1999) en una muestra de 216 delincuentes (108 hombres y 108 mujeres) sin trastornos clínicos diagnosticados internados en varias cárceles españolas. Además del análisis de las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento, se examinan las diferencias en personalidad relacionadas con el género y el tipo de delito (violentos vs no violentos). Los resultados apoyan la fiabilidad de las escalas, así como la estructura factorial de las escalas propuesta por los autores del instrumento. También seleccionamos aquellos ítems que mejor discriminaban entre delincuentes condenados por delitos violentos y no violentos y realizamos un análisis factorial con ellos, encontrándose una estructura factorial de tres factores que recuerda al modelo de personalidad de Eysenck

The Antisocial Personality Questionnaire developed by Blackburn and Fawcett (1999) has shown adequate reliability and validity in studies of male offenders interned in psychiatric hospitals. This paper provides data on the APQ collected from a sample of offenders (males and females) without any diagnosed mental illness. The sample was made up of 216 offenders (108 males and 108 females) confined in Spanish prisons. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the instrument and we also examined differences in personality as a function of gender and type of crime (violent vs. non-violent). Results support the reliability of the APQ scales as well as the structure proposed by Blackburn. Additionally, we selected items that discriminate between offenders convicted for violent and non-violent crimes; when these items are factorized, a three-factor structure emerges, resembling Eysenck´s model

[Personality, gender and violent criminality in prison inmates]. / Personalidad, género y criminalidad violenta en reclusos.

The Antisocial Personality Questionnaire developed by Blackburn and Fawcett (1999) has shown adequate reliability and validity in studies of male offenders interned in psychiatric hospitals. This paper provides data on the APQ collected from a sample of offenders (males and females) without any diagnosed mental illness. The sample was made up of 216 offenders (108 males and 108 females) confined in Spanish prisons. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the instrument and we also examined differences in personality as a function of gender and type of crime (violent vs. non-violent). Results support the reliability of the APQ scales as well as the structure proposed by Blackburn. Additionally, we selected items that discriminate between offenders convicted for violent and non-violent crimes; when these items are factorized, a three-factor structure emerges, resembling Eysenck's model.

Biología, personalidad y delincuencia / No disponible

El principal propósito de este trabajo es presentar una reflexión a partir de las evidencias empíricas disponibles que relacionan factores genéticos, biológicos y determinadas características de personalidad con conductas antisociales y/o delictivas. La reflexión sobre la vía explicativa que conduce desde los genes y otros factores biológicos a la conformación de estructuras de personalidad que, a su vez, configuran organismos con patrones de interacción con el entorno proclives a la aparición de conductas antisociales y/o delictivas. El análisis enfatiza la necesidad de evitar los reduccionismos deterministas en el campo y aboga por la elaboración de perspectivas integradoras (AU)

Biology, personality and criminality. The main aim of this work is to discuss the available empirical evidence relating genetic, biological and personality factors with antisocial and/or criminal behavior. This discussion underlines the explanatory path bridging genes and other biological factors with personality structures which, finally, through patterns of interaction with the environment, give place to antisocial and/or criminal behavior. This analysis emphasized the need to avoid determinist reductionisms, and claims for the elaboration of integrative perspectives (AU)