Georgia B. Calhoun

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.

Differences Between Male and Female Juvenile Of fenders as Measured by the BASC

Abstract Female juvenile delinquency has largely been ignored throughout the juvenile justice field. Juvenile justice research, programming and interventions have focused al most exclusively on male delinquency with little attempt to understand the gender specific needs of female juvenile offenders. The present study is an initial examination of behavioral and emotional differences between male and female juvenile offenders using an omni bus self-report personality inventory. Differences between male and female juvenile offenders were found on six of fourteen comparisons. Of the six, fourwere clinical scales (Anxiety, Depression, Social Stress and Locus of Control) and two were adaptive scales (Relations with Parents and Self-Esteem). A greater frequency of females in the at-risk/clinical range were found than males on three scales (Anxiety, Locus of Control, and Social Stress). The findings provide support for differential treatment planning in addressing the needs of female juvenile offenders.

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.

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.

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.

Building Connections: Relational Group Work with Female Adolescent Offenders

Abstract Female juvenile offending is an issue that is often ignored. The specific needs and issues of girls in the juvenile justice system commonly go unheard while court dispositions and therapeutic interventions often criminalize what might be viewed as survival skills. This article proposes a relational group approach to treatment. Such an approach conceptualizes offending behaviors among female adolescents as the result of negative unhealthy relationship patterns. A relational group approach to treatment builds connections with other girls and women while addressing their concerns and problematic behaviors.

Personality and affect characteristics of outpatients with depression

This investigation was designed to examine the relationship between depression severity and personality disorders measured by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (Millon, 1987) and affectivity measured by the Positive Affectivity/Negative Affectivity Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Discriminant analyses were employed to identify the personality and affective dimensions that maximally discriminate between 4 different levels of depressive severity. Differences between the 4 levels of depressive severity are suggestive of unique patterns of personality characteristics. Discriminant analysis showed that 74.8% of the cases were correctly classified by a single linear discriminant function, and that 61% of the variance in depression severity was accounted for by selected personality and affect variables. Results extend current conceptualizations of comorbidity and are discussed with respect to depression severity.