Julie Anne Laser

Exploring the Relationships Between Dissociation, Victimization, and Juvenile Sexual Offending

An etiological model of sexually abusive behavior including dissociation could have utility for researchers and treatment providers working with sexually abusive youth with trauma histories. This article explores relationships between dissociation, victimization, and juvenile sexual offending. Self-reported data on dissociation and 5 types of abuse were collected from 2 racially/ethnically diverse groups of sexually abusive and general delinquent male adolescents (n = 502). Bivariate analysis showed significant correlations between all types of child abuse and dissociation with the exception of emotional neglect. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that dissociation was significant in predicting sexual offender status. Moreover, dissociation, sexual victimization, and physical abuse showed significant effects in predicting membership in the sexual offender group. The results confirm the need for additional research in the areas of assessment and treatment of dissociation among sexually abusive youth.

Risk and Promotive Factors Related to Depressive Symptoms Among Japanese Youth

Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, loneliness, suicidal ideation, and self-dislike. Adolescent depression is viewed as a problem in Japan, but there is little research on the correlates of depression in Japanese youth. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression in Japanese youth and to examine correlates of depression using a risk and promotive factor framework. This study examined the symptoms of depression among 802 Japanese youth attending postsecondary schools in the Sapporo area. Separate analyses were conducted for males and females to determine whether the importance of risk and promotive factors varied by gender. The results showed that many factors that had been linked to depressive symptoms in Western samples were predictive of depressive symptoms in Japanese youth. The risk and promotive factors accounted for 50% and 59% of the variance in depressive symptoms for the female and male subsamples, respectively.

Promotive and Risk Factors Related To Deviant Behavior in Japanese Youth

Although deviant behavior is on the rise in Japanese youth, the promotive (or protective) factors that deter this behavior and the risk factors that exacerbate it have not been studied. This study examined promotive and risk factors related to deviant behavior among 555 male and female Japanese youth attending postsecondary schools in the Sapporo area. Individual characteristics, family characteristics and processes, and extrafamilial factors were investigated. Results showed that many factors that had been linked to deviant behavior in Western samples (e.g., lack of parental monitoring) were also predictive of deviant behavior in Japanese youth. In addition, some factors that were of particular concern in Japan (e.g., fathers involvement in fuzuko) were also predictive of deviant behavior.