Brian A. Glaser

Beliefs and Practices of the Parents of Violent and Oppositional Adolescents: An Ecological Perspective

Parenting is a transactional process, influenced by the child’s behavior and the environmental context. The present study explores the beliefs and practices of parents of aggressive and oppositional adolescents to understand better the relation among parenting practices, context, and youth violence. Parents of juvenile offenders (N=203) completed assessments of youths’ violent and oppositional behaviors, community violence exposure, and their own beliefs and parenting behaviors and perceptions of the juvenile justice system. Parents of youth with the highest levels of violent and oppositional behavior problems reported elevated feelings of hopelessness regarding the child’s future, inadequacy as a parent, fear of physical harm by the child, anger toward the child, as well as difficulty monitoring the child. All parents reported relatively high levels of perceived support by the justice system. Parental stress was also examined as a possible influence on the parents’ beliefs and behaviors regarding the child. Results suggest that parents’ emotional and behavioral responses should be addressed when intervening with juvenile offenders. Editors’ Strategic Implications: The authors present evidence to suggest that parents’ perceptions of hopelessness/inadequacy and their fear for their child’s safety are both by-products of life with an aggressive child as well as contributing factors to that aggressive behavior. Thus, successful interventions must both target the parents as change agents in the youth’s life but also include a strong parental support component, so that parents will have an opportunity to orchestrate positive impacts in high-risk environments.

Cognitive Schemas as Mediating Variables of the Relationship Between the Self-Defeating Personality and Depression

The current investigation was designed to examine particular maladaptive cognitive schemas as mediating variables of the relationship between the self-defeating personality and depression. A total of 82 mildly to severely depressed adult outpatients, referred for counseling and psychotherapy services, were assessed in terms of self-defeating personality and maladaptive cognitive schema characteristics. Results indicated that 57% of the variance within depression, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979), was accounted for by the self-defeating personality and five maladaptive cognitive schemas: abandonment/instability; defectiveness/shame; failure; subjugation; and vulnerability to harm. Further, mediation analyses indicated that abandonment/instability and defectiveness/shame statistically mediated the relationship between the self-defeating personality and depression. Results are discussed in light of contemporary theories of depression.

Personality Typologies of Male Juvenile Offenders Using a Cluster Analysis of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory Introduction

The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) is a unique adolescent instrument that attempts to delineate between personality and acute symptoms. This study sought to explore typologies based on the Personality Pattern scales of theMACI in a sample of detained male juvenile offenders (N = 103). A Ward’s method cluster analysis yielded a four-cluster solution, and each cluster was provided a clinically relevant label: (a) disruptive, antisocials; (b) agreeable, antisocials; (c) anxious, prosocials; and (d) reactive, depressives. The largest group consisted of the reactive depressives (n = 41). This suggests the importance of considering the role of internalizing problems as a conduit to delinquency in addition to antisocial personality. No interaction between cluster membership and offense history or race was found.

Effects of Witnessing Severe Marital Discord on Children’s Social Competence and Behavioral Problems

This study examines the clinical profile of children who have wit-nessed severe marital discord in comparison with clinic-referred and nonreferred normative children. The study attempts to increase understanding about childhood risk in the areas of behavioral problems and social competence, as well as the relationship of these factors to childhood psychological disorder. The primary question asked whether children who witness marital violence in the home are adversely affected in the areas of social competence and behavioral problems, which include both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The results indicate that the witnessing group of children has lower social competence, has more behavior problems, and exhibits more internalizing and externalizing behaviors than the comparative normative sample.

Preliminary Validation of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory–Juvenile Offender:

An examination of the relationship between self-esteem and delinquent behavior in juveniles suggests that pathological narcissism, characterized by a grandiose self-image and interpersonal exploitation, may be a factor in the etiology of juvenile delinquency. Psychoanalytic theory posits a relationship between narcissism and delinquent behavior in juveniles, however, there has been little research examining this relationship empirically. The present study represents an effort to measure the construct of narcissism in juvenile offenders via a revised version of the widely used Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). The NPI was revised to suit the juveniles’ comprehension and reading levels and administered to 125 detained male juvenile offenders. Construct validity for the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-Juvenile Offender (NPI-JO) was provided by factor analytic cross-validation with a broad-spectrum scale (Behavior Assessment System for Children–Self-Report Profile) of adolescent behavior. Limitations and possible implications of the narcissism scale were noted.

MARITAL SATISFACTION AND SOCIAL LEARNING FAMILY THERAPY FOR CHILD CONDUCT PROBLEMS: GENERALIZATION OF TREATMENT EFFECTS

Successful treatment outcome and maintenance for families with aggressive children by means of social learning family therapy were reported by Sayger, Horne, Walker, and Passmore (1988). The present study examined the generalization of treatment effects to the childs classroom, the parental level of marital satisfaction, the general family relationship environment, and the parental level of depression. Results of this study show that teachers reported improved child behavior following treatment. Parental level of marital satisfaction was increased and sustained for those parents who were experiencing low levels of marital satisfaction prior to treatment. The participating families also became more cohesive and expressive, and less conflictual. Although pretreatment levels of parental depression were moderately low, these levels were alleviated.

Examining Readiness for Change: A Preliminary Evaluation of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment With Incarcerated Adolescents.

Abstract The authors describe use and development of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (E. I. McConnaughy, J. O. Prochaska. & W. F. Velicer. 1983) and examine the psychometric properties of scores from incarcerated male adolescents. Cluster analysts revealed 3 unique profiles (Precontemplators, Participators, and Undifferentiated). Im-plications for clinical use with adolescent populations are discussed.

Intimacy and Sexual Satisfaction in Unmarried Couple Relationships: A Pilot Study.

The roles of intimacy and sexual satisfaction in couple relationships are not clearly understood, particularly when assessing gender differences in areas of sexuality and communication. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine intimacy and sexual satisfaction in unmarried couple relationships and the role that gender plays. A sample of 159 college students (72 men, 87 women) responded to modified versions of Walker and Thompsons Intimacy Scale and Hudsons Index of Sexual Satisfaction. A MANO VA was conducted to test reports of intimacy and sexual satisfaction, resulting in significant differences between gender with women reporting more intimacy and sexual satisfaction than did men. The implications are explored in the context of social and cultural changes. A cautious interpretation of the results of these preliminaryfindings is appropriate given the small and specific sample size. Future research focusing on gender differences when intimacy and sexual satisfaction are considered important components of the relationships might provide empirical evidence to support observations about changing gender roles.

Assessing the parents of Juvenile Offenders: A preliminary validation study of the Juvenile Offender Parent Questionnaire

ABSTRACT The present study is a preliminary investigation into the development of a parent self-report instrument, the Juvenile Offender Parent Questionnaire (JOPQ). A large pool of items was rationally derived from a model of parent competency and then administered to 243 parents of children who were making appearances in juvenile court. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a six-factor solution: Exasperation in Regard to the Child, Mistrust of the Justice System, Shame Over Parenting Self-Efficacy, Parental Monitoring, Fear of the Child, and Parent Perception of Childs Exposure to Violence. Implications for use of the scale in research and practice are discussed.

Personality characteristics of male juvenile offenders by adjudicated offenses as indicated by the MMPI-A

The current investigation was designed to identify the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI–A) scales that discriminate between three general types of criminal offenses among male juvenile offenders and the degree to which selected scales discriminate. Seventy-two male juvenile offenders were classified according to type of offense: crime against person, crime against property, or drug/alcohol offense. Selected scales were examined as discriminant predictors of offense pattern in a descriptive discriminant analysis as well as a classification analysis. Two significant linear discriminant functions emerged. Classification analysis also demonstrated the utility of the MMPI–A in differentiating between type of juvenile offense by correctly classifying 79.2% of the cases. Implications for the use of the MMPI–A with male juvenile offenders are discussed.