Distinguishing male offenders through juvenile personality traits, coping strategies, feelings of guilt and level of anger.
On the basis of a comparative, descriptive, cross-sectional study, our aim was to determine differential traits of adolescent offenders with respect to personality traits, feelings of guilt, level of anger, and coping strategies. 128 adolescent residents of Barcelona (86 high school students and 42 young inmates aged between 16 and 18 years) replied to a variety of questionnaires (SC-35, EPQ-R, STAXI, ACS). Significant differences between the two groups were found. Young offenders present higher levels of guilt feelings, neuroticism, psychoticism, and trait anger. They also tend to repress their anger or, on the contrary, express it verbally and physically and use passive or avoidance coping strategies. Education and psychological therapy focussed on guilt may contribute to reduce recidivism.
Ferrer
Marta
M
Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain.
Carbonell
Xavier
X
Sarrado
Joan Josep
JJ
Cebrià
Jordi
J
Virgili
Carles
C
Castellana
Montserrat
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000786:Anger; D002605:Character; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D013030:Spain