From a socio-ecological perspective, individuals are influenced by the interplay of individual, relational, and societal factors operating as a broader system. Thereby, to support youth adjustment during the critical adolescence period, the interplay between these factors should be investigated. This study aimed to investigate cross-cultural differences in adolescents’ maternal and paternal attachment, adolescents’ adjustment difficulties and self-control, and in their association. N = 1000 adolescents (mean (M) age = 16.94, SD = 0.48; 45.90% males) from China, Italy, Spain, and Poland participated by completing self-report measures. Results showed cross-country similarities and differences among the considered variables and their associative pattern. Moreover, conditional process analysis evaluating the association between maternal vs. paternal attachment and adjustment difficulties, mediated by self-control, and moderated by country, was performed. Maternal attachment directly, and indirectly through greater self-control, influenced adjustment difficulties in all four countries. This association was stronger among Spaniards. Paternal attachment influenced directly, and indirectly through self-control, on adolescents’ adjustment difficulties only in Italy, Spain, and Poland, and was stronger among Polish adolescents. For Chinese adolescents, paternal attachment solely associated with adjustment difficulties when mediated by self-control. Thus, results highlighted both similarities and differences across countries in the interplay between maternal vs. paternal attachment and self-control on adolescents’ adjustment difficulties. Implications are discussed.

Parental attachment is important for adolescents’ development as well as cultural context. Poland used to be collectivist but now is closer to individualistic due to social and economic transformation. Few studies have examined parental attachment and self-esteem among Polish adolescents. This descriptive study (N = 303 Polish adolescents) investigated the levels of parental attachment, gender differences, preferred attachment figure, association with self-esteem and cultural differences with collectivistic (China) and individualistic (Italy) cultures. The results indicated that: (1) there was no gender difference in parental attachment; (2) mother was the preferred attachment figure; (3) parental attachment was related to self-esteem; and (4) cultural differences were found. Findings were discussed in terms of Polish sociopolitical situation.

Aggressive perpetration and victimization are a salient problem among Polish adolescents. Based on the general theory of crime, this study explored the associations between attachment to parents and self-control with perpetration and victimization among Polish adolescents ( N = 355, 146 boys and 209 girls). Results showed that (a) secure attachment to father related to less perpetration and victimization among boys and girls, whereas secure attachment to mother associated with less perpetration and victimization among girls; (b) secure attachment to father was related to better self-control for boys and girls; and (c) self-control related to reduced victimization and mediated the “attachment to father—victimization” association among girls. These findings suggest that generalizability of the general theory of crime in Polish adolescents is limited.

This chapter describes how biopsychosocial conditioning is a dynamic functional structure which included definitive aspects of health, somatics, social aspects, psychological parameters and spiritual health. The approach of the authors to include health and disease in terms of a system that governs the specific principles. The systems such as the human body and human psyche are open and relatively autonomous. Openness enables new factors, stimuli, information and experience to be introduced into the system, but also entails the risk of introducing harmful influences on health and psychosocial statuses. Autonomy and awareness of psychological structures are linked to the ability to control the biopsychosocial state. The conviction of exercising such control is a source of the sense of security.

<b>Background</b><br /> The concept of body image was introduced by Paul Schilder, who recognised that this is a picture of our own body, which we create in our mind and which is the way in which the body is revealed to us. He proposed a definition centred around the cognitive aspect and assumed the relative stability of this structure. However, he highlighted the fact that the body image may be shaped by various experiences, and thus an individual can modify his own body image during life.<br /> <br /> <b>Participants and procedure</b><br /> The study group consisted of 112 high school students aged 17 and 18 years. The study was conducted from March to June 2014 in Poland. Techniques: The Body Esteem Scale (BES) by S. Franzoi and S. Shields was used for the purpose of the research. The scale is used to study body image. The second tool used in the research was the Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI) by Z. Juczyński. Although the standards are set for adults, the same tool is frequently used in research among youth.<br /> <br /> <b>Results</b><br /> It was found that only the overall health behaviour indicator correlates with body evaluation. The higher the overall health behaviour indicator was, the higher was body evaluation among the girls involved in the study. However, no significant correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and overall body evaluation.<br /> <br /> <b>Conclusions</b><br /> The research demonstrated that the body image of adolescent girls significantly correlates with their health care to a large extent and with the desire to be slim to a lesser extent. This is a very positive result considering the idea of a healthy lifestyle.