Elena Cattelino

Use of pornography and self-reported engagement in sexual violence among adolescents

This cross-sectional study examined 804 adolescents, boys and girls, aged from 14 to 19 years, attending different types of high schools in the northwest of Italy; the questionnaire “Me and My Health” (Bonino, 1996) was used to collect data. The main goals were: (i) to investigate the relationship between active and passive forms of sexual harassment and violence and the relationship between pornography (reading magazines and viewing films or videos) and unwanted sex among adolescents; (ii) to explore the differences in these relationships with respect to gender and age; and (iii) to investigate the factors (pornography, gender and age) that are most likely to promote unwanted sex. The findings showed that active and passive sexual violence and unwanted sex and pornography were correlated. However, reading pornographic material was more strongly linked to active sexual violence, while being a boy was found to be protective against passive sexual violence. Nevertheless, some effects of viewing pornographic films on passive unwanted sex were also found, especially among girls.

Links between maternal and paternal support, depressive feelings and social and academic self-efficacy in adolescence

This study focused on the role of paternal and maternal support on various indicators of adolescent adjustment. Similar patterns of support in the parental couple (father and mother both high or both low) and mixed patterns (father high and mother low or vice versa) as perceived by adolescents were considered. The specific purpose was to examine the role of both similar (parental consistency) and mixed (parental inconsistency) patterns of parental support on depressive feelings and social and academic self-efficacy. For parental inconsistency, differences between the maternal and paternal role were investigated. Gender and age differences were also examined. Data were collected from a sample of 1118 Italian students, aged 14 to 18 years, living in intact families, using a self-report questionnaire and ANOVAs were performed. Results indicated that high levels of perceived support from both parents were related to lower levels of depressive feelings and higher levels of social and academic self-efficacy. Mixed patterns of support in the parental couple did not differ from each other for any of the indicators considered. No interactions between typology of support, gender and age were observed. Findings confirmed the importance of studying paternal and maternal support interactions rather than focusing on their independent role.

The Relationship Between Cognitive Abilities and Social Abilities in Childhood: A Research on Flexibility in Thinking and Co-operation with Peers

This research is the first part of a project on the relationship between cognitive and social abilities in childhood, with special attention on the analysis of the relationship between ‘exibility in thinking and co-operative versus competitive solutions of social conflicts with peers. Flexibility is defined as the ability to suppress a response in order to ”nd a new one. The hypothesis is that the more ‘exible children are the more able they are to detach themselves from the conflict situation and more able to consider it in an integrated way—therefore they are more able to ”nd a co-operative solution. We studied a sample of 152 7-year-old children. In this research, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task was used for the evaluation of ‘exibility in thinking. To evaluate co-operative and competitive behaviour, an interactive drawing task was used, where children were asked to draw together with tied pencils. Two children, of the same sex and of the same level (high or low) of ‘exibility, were put to work together in the interactive task. Results confirm the hypothesis, and indicate that the more ‘exible children are the more able they are to co-operate with their peers, to take turns, and to verbalise about other topics not related to the task

Fattori di protezione dal consumo di alcolici e dal binge drinking nella prima adolescenza

Il consumo di alcolici comporta nella prima adolescenza molteplici rischi per la salute anche in caso di assunzione moderata e occasionale e rischi ancora maggiori nel caso di assunzione eccessiva in un’unica occasione (binge drinking). I fattori che favoriscono o contrastano il bere in adolescenza sono molteplici, strettamente legati alle problematiche di sviluppo adolescenziali e di natura individuale e sociale. Il presente studio analizza il consumo di alcol (stimato in base al consumo di birra, bevanda alcolica piu diffusa nella popolazione giovanile dalla quale e stato estratto il campione studiato) nella prima adolescenza in rapporto a un complesso sistema di variabili, personali e sociali, al fine di individuare i principali correlati del consumo di birra e del binge drinking. Uno specifico questionario self-report e stato compilato anonimamente da 506 14-15enni di ambo i generi, residenti in Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta, da cui sono stati selezionati per lo studio 328 adolescenti (maschi 46%) consumatori di alcolici. Piu del 90% di questi ultimi ha bevuto birra negli ultimi due mesi, in misura maggiore maschi e quindicenni, mentre il 31% e incorso in almeno un episodio di binge drinking nello stesso periodo, senza differenze statisticamente significative legate al genere o all’eta. Il coinvolgimento in entrambi i comportamenti e principalmente legato a fattori sociali, quali il bere nei contesti amicali e il bere in presenza dei genitori. Fra i fattori personali, l’autoefficacia regolatoria e significativamente legata a un minore coinvolgimento. A fini di prevenzione, i risultati evidenziano l’importanza di agire in questa specifica fascia d’eta non solo a livello individuale e del gruppo dei pari, ma anche a livello familiare.

Quando il Sexting diventa una forma di violenza? Motivazioni al sexting e dating violence nei giovani adulti

Con Internet la dating violence ha iniziato ad avvenire anche online. Gli studi mostrano che il sexting, ossia lo scambio di immagini sessuali tramite Internet, e correlato a perpetrazione e vittimizzazione di dating violence. Questo studio ha indagato in un campione di giovani adulti tra i 18 e 27 anni quali motivazioni al sexting portano a vittimizzazione e perpetrazione di dating violence. Due analisi della regressione gerarchica hanno mostrato che solo le motivazioni strumentali/aggravate portano a vittimizzazione, beta =.18, p =.01, e a perpetrazione, beta = .17, p = .02, di dating violence. I risultati confermano la presenza di due diversi tipi di sexting, sperimentale e aggravato, le cui implicazioni cliniche ed educative vengono esaminate a fondo.

Il conflitto nelle relazioni amicali e sentimentali in adolescenza e in età giovane adulta: quale relazione con il benessere psicologico e la depressione?

Lo studio indaga il legame fra conflitto nelle relazioni amicali e sentimentali, benessere psicologico e depressione in adolescenza e in giovane eta adulta, analizzando il ruolo congiunto del conflitto nelle due relazioni sul benessere e la depressione, e individuando il possibile ruolo di moderazione dell’effetto del conflitto svolto da altre dimensioni dei legami d’amicizia e sentimentali. 193 adolescenti e giovani adulti, d’eta compresa fra i 16 e i 22 anni, aventi sia un amico intimo sia un partner sentimentale, hanno risposto in forma anonima a un questionario di tipo self-report contenente misure relative al conflitto e ad altre dimensioni delle relazioni amicali e sentimentali, a diversi indicatori di benessere psicologico (soddisfazione per la vita, ottimismo, equilibrio fra affetti positivi e negativi) e alla depressione. I risultati evidenziano conflitti piu frequenti nelle relazioni sentimentali rispetto a quelle amicali. Proprio nelle relazioni sentimentali la dimensione del conflitto assume maggiore rilevanza per il benessere e la depressione. L’intimita col partner e in grado di moderare l’effetto del conflitto sulla depressione

Peer and Family Contexts of Italian Adolescents: Implications for Individual Adjustment

The present chapter focuses on two programs of research being carried out in Italy, and focusing on family and peer contexts of individual social development. Research on peer contexts of adolescent social development emphasizes the importance of considering multiple peer relationships in multiple social contexts. Research considering family contexts of adolescent development underscores the importance of parental support for youth adjustment. It is underlined that these programs of research represent a small part of the research focusing on adolescence that is being carried out in Italy.