Abstract

MORGADO, Alice Murteira  and  DIAS, Maria da Luz Vale. Antisocial behaviour in adolescence: the role of individual characteristics on a social phenomenon. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2016, vol.17, n.1, pp.15-22. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/16psd170103.

Antisocial behaviours are more prevalent in adolescence than in other stages of the life cycle. It is a remarkable challenge to address these behaviours that occur in a stage when individuals face important tasks that involve building their identity and healthy social relationships. This research studied the relations between antisocial behaviour and individual characteristics (gender, personality, social skills, self-concept and family environment perceptions) in an occasional sample of 489 adolescents. We asked participants to fill the Portuguese versions of Youth Self-Report, Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire, Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and Social Skills Questionnaire. Parents filled the Portuguese version of Child Behaviour Checklist. Results show significant gender differences and, generally, significant differences between adolescents with higher and lower antisocial tendency. We were also able to confirm the role of personality, empathy, self-concept and family environment both in self-reported antisocial behaviour and in parent-reported aggressive behaviour. We define intervention strategies aimed at the general population to promote healthy adolescent socioemotional development and, consequently, prevent, on a primary level, an increase in deviant behaviours during this developmental stage.

Keywords : adolescence; antisocial behaviour; prevention; health promotion.

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