Los factores individuales y del entorno en la exclusión social y la conducta delictiva en la adolescencia

Identificador:  TDX:2657

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2657

Autors:  Duran Bonavila, Silvia

Resum:
Both social exclusion and criminal behavior are highly complex issues that are currently arousing great interest among researchers. The objective of the present research is to analyze the effects of the risk of social exclusion on different aspects of the personality and cognitive abilities, and to determine possible differences in risk factors and protectors (personal, family and the environment) among young people in exclusion who commit crimes and those who do not. The research has been carried out in three samples of adolescents, between 12 and 21 years of age, from the provinces of Tarragona, Barcelona and Lleida: a community sample (M = 14.67, SD = 2.21), a sample at risk of exclusion (M = 14.52, SD = 2.42) and another sample of young offenders (M = 17.64, SD = 1.18). Each sample consisted of 120 participants, equivalent in sex and origin. The results show that young people at risk of social exclusion and the young offenders sample are more extrovert, less open to experience, and show higher scores in physical aggressiveness and motor impulsivity. As far as intelligence is concerned, cognitive performance was lower in both the risk sample and the young offenders sample than in the community sample. The profile of the young at-risk group and young offenders group is almost identical, with the latter group only having a higher score in proactive aggressiveness and conscientiousness. However, significant differences have been found in the items related to risk and protective factors between both groups. In conclusion, the results indicate that the possible causes of criminal behavior in this type of young people are not found mainly in personality traits or in cognitive capacities but rather in contextual factors, such as the family or the environment.