Psychiatric Morbidity and Personality Characteristics of Detained Adolescents With Delinquent Behavior

Abstract

The current study was undertaken with the aim of assessing the psychopathological symptoms, personality profile, and hostility in detained adolescents with delinquent behavior. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 50 admitted adolescent delinquents in correctional institutes in the Greater Cairo region of Egypt. Results for delinquent adolescents were compared with age-equivalent adolescents with no history of delinquency. Both groups were subjected to the Adolescent and Adult Psychological State Inventory, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Locus of Control scale, and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). Results concluded that adolescents with delinquent behavior displayed increased rates of psychiatric disorders over the comparative group. Significantly higher scores on the psychoticism, neuroticism, extraversion, and psychopathic deviation subscales and the Locus of Control scale were evident among the adolescent delinquent group compared with their nondelinquent peers. The delinquent group obtained, in general, higher overall scores on the HDHQ questionnaire when compared with the nondelinquent adolescents, while also obtaining higher scores on the paranoid hostility subscale of HDHQ. Acting out hostility scores correlated positively with neuroticism and psychoticism in delinquents. Psychiatric morbidity, extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, and increased hostility were found to contribute as major psychosocial factors underlying the psychopathology in detained juvenile delinquents.

Effectiveness of Special Juvenile Crime Prevention Programmes

“…At the same time, the facts are presented that confirm the existence of differences in bullying among adolescents by gender, age and region (Man et al, 2022). It was proved that delinquent teenagers are aggressive and prone to conflict (Nasreldin et al, 2020), they have a pronounced propensity to break norms and rules, and low self-control (Mittal et al, 2021). The majority of juvenile delinquencies are explained by their antisocial traits: aggressiveness, proneness to conflict, and withdrawal (Abbaspour et al, 2022).…”

“…This is a decreased psychosocial adaptation, low school performance, disruption of peer relationships, and deterioration of relations with parents (Song et al, 2022;Zhylin et al, 2022). Such juveniles are characterised by proneness to conflict, aggressiveness, and a high level of psychopathy (Nasreldin et al, 2020).…”

The Influence of Personality and Demographic Characteristics on Aggressive Driving Behaviors in Eastern Chinese Drivers

“…Such trends indicated that drivers with more extended driving experience who were experiencing neuroticism required more intensive follow-up investigation and interventions. To screen and identify individuals with high neurotic personality traits could be undertaken using a questionnaire such as the Eysenck personality Questionnaire, 131 or Five-Factory Inventory. 132 Additionally, a prevention logo or tips to warn about aggressive driving could be sent to targeted drivers using digital messages, such as Wei-chat messages in China.…”