Based on the theory that a positive environment meets human needs whilst at the same time it stimulates engagement in environmentally protective behaviours, this study empirically tested a model of family positivity, considering the responses given by 200 Mexican interviewees in a research survey. In the model, a series of positive characteristics pertaining to the home (privacy, pleasant temperature, lack of noise, cleanliness) constituted a positive physical environmental factor for the family, whereas positive social family atmosphere comprised indicators of affection and intimacy and a democratic style of relations between the members. The model also included a factor pertaining to sustainable behaviours, created through the reporting of pro-environmental, frugal, altruistic and equitable behaviours. The positive physical and social factors of the family environment produced a second-order factor, identified as 'Positive family environment'. This secondorder construct was saliently and significantly associated with the sustainable behaviour factor, providing empirical support to the theoretical model of environmental positivity in the family.

Executive functions are still developing during adolescence. It is important to analyse if juvenile delinquency is related to a delay in the development of these functions. The objective of this study was to analyse cognitive inhibition and flexibility, two components of executive functions, in juvenile delinquents. Participants were 81 males, 17.46 ± 1.60 years old. Three groups were compared: a juvenile delinquent inmate group (IG), an agepaired group (APG), and an age-and education-paired group (AEPG). A modified Stroop task was used to assess cognitive inhibition and flexibility. The IG and the AEPG (low-education adolescents) had significantly more difficulties than the APG on inhibition; the IG and the AEPG had no significant differences. No group differences were found on flexibility. Since all low-education adolescents have difficulties on inhibition, these difficulties are not an exclusive characteristic of juvenile delinquents. Analysis of cognitive processes in juvenile delinquents must control for education to determine how specific are the difficulties found in these adolescents.

Juvenile delinquents are young people who break the law. They are usually males of low socio-economic status and low education, and are more exposed to brain damage risk factors, especially drug use, and have a higher prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These characteristics suggest a delay in the development of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is related to neuropsychological functions such as language, memory, attention, and executive functions. To assess the evidence of a delay in the development of prefrontal functions, a search was conducted for studies that evaluated neuropsychological functions in inmate juvenile delinquents, comparing them to a control group, and only 14 articles were found with these characteristics. The review showed that, despite methodological issues on task selection and on the composition of control groups, there is evidence that juvenile delinquents have disorders on neuropsychological functions such as language comprehension, visuospatial working memory, selective and sustained attention, and components of executive functions such as cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and planning. These findings agree with the hypothesis that there is a developmental delay in the prefrontal functions of juvenile delinquents. Understanding the deficits juvenile delinquents have on neuropsychological functions is crucial to design prevention and treatment programs for juvenile delinquency.

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