NCJ Number
95369
Journal
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: (1984) Pages: 528-538
Date Published
1984
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Researchers of juvenile delinquency have related numerous demographic, individual, and family relationship variables to adolescent criminal activity. This study evaluated which of these variables most strongly predicted repeated and serious arrest among juvenile offenders and their siblings.
Abstract
Demographic, psychometric, self-report, and observational measures were collected on 74 father-present and 89 father-absent families, of which 62% and 77%, respectively, included an adolescent son who had been arrested. Multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for father-present and father-absent families. Socialized-aggressive disorder, as rated by the parent(s), was the most consistent and powerful predictor of serious and repeated arrests among the male adolescents and their siblings. The second most powerful predictor was the adolescent's age at first arrest. Several family relationship measures were also significant predictors of adolescent and family arrest records. Combined, these measures accounted for a large percentage of the variance of each predicted variable. The implications of these findings for theory, research and clinical practice are discussed. (Publisher abstract)