The present study identifies processes contributing to variability in antisocial and prosocial behaviors in early adolescence. More specifically, we considered how perceived feedback from adults (i.e., adult praise) and peers (i.e., coolness) might account for some of the established associations between peer involvement in prosocial behaviors and an individual's engagement in prosocial and antisocial behaviors in the school context. Both adult praise and peer prosocial behavior are tested as predictors of school engagement and antisocial behavior in schools, with perceived feedback from peers (i.e., coolness) examined as both a mediator and moderator using multilevel analysis (MLM) in a statewide sub-sample (N=6,525) of 8th grade Middle School/Junior High students located in Southwestern United States. Results testing mediation indicate a significantly positive association between reports of peer prosocial behavior and individual's own involvement in prosocial behaviors, and a significantly inverse association between reports of peer prosocial behavior and individual's own antisocial behaviors. Perceived feedback from peers (i.e., coolness) only partially accounted for these associations. Conversely, results testing moderation indicated a significantly positive link between perceived feedback from adults (i.e., adult praise) and individual's own engagement in prosocial behaviors, and an inverse association between perceived feedback from adults (i.e., adult praise) and individual's own antisocial behaviors. No interaction effects were observed for perceived feedback from peers (i.e., coolness) on these associations. These findings extend literature regarding the processes through which peer involvement in prosocial behavior is linked to individual prosocial and antisocial behaviors. This study makes research advancements by considering the contributions of perceived feedback from both adults and peers that can both be significant during early adolescence. These results justify implications for practice and policy related to prevention/intervention efforts that include peer associations, since they matter for prosocial behavior.

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Cette étude longitudinale visait à évaluer si les traits de personnalité des adolescents permettent de prédire leurs comportements antisociaux ultérieurs, après avoir contrôlé pour l’effet du niveau initial du comportement antisocial ainsi que celui de plusieurs facteurs de risque connus de ces comportements. L’échantillon utilisé compte 1036 adolescents provenant de huit écoles secondaires québécoises. Les adolescents ont été évalués à deux reprises, soit en secondaire 1 (12-13 ans) et en secondaire 3 (14-15 ans). Ils ont répondu à un questionnaire autorévélé. Des modèles d’équations structurales ont d’abord confirmé que la covariation entre différents comportements antisociaux des adolescents peut être expliquée par une variable latente. Les résultats ont confirmé que les traits de personnalité des adolescents à 12 et 13 ans prédisent leurs comportements antisociaux à 14 et 15 ans. En accord avec les études antérieures, l’Extraversion, le Contrôle et la Stabilité émotionnelle prédisent les comportements antisociaux futurs. Toutefois, l’effet de l’Amabilité disparait une fois que le niveau initial est contrôlé. Finalement, des modèles d’équations structurales multi-groupes ont permis de démontrer que certaines relations prédictives sont différentes selon le sexe. Les résultats de cette étude soulignent l’importance des traits de personnalité pour les théories du comportement antisocial ainsi que pour la pratique clinique. / The goal of this longitudinal study was to evaluate if personality traits in early adolescence can predict future antisocial behavior, after controlling for initial level of antisocial behavior and the influence of various known risk factors. The sample includes 1036 adolescents from eight high schools in the province of Quebec. The adolescents were evaluated twice, once during the first year of high school (12-13 years old) and once during the second year of high school (14-15 years old). Adolescents filled a self-reported questionnaire. Structural equation models first confirmed that the covariation among different antisocial behaviors can be explained by a latent variable. The results confirmed that adolescents’ personality traits at ages 12 and 13 predict their antisocial behaviors at ages 14 and 15. In accordance with previous studies, Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability predict future antisocial behavior. However, the effect of Agreeableness disappeared once initial level of antisocial behavior was controlled for. Finally, multiple-group structural equation models showed significant gender-specific predictive relations. The results of this study support the relevance of personality traits for both theory of antisocial behavior and clinical practice.

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Introduction. La fumée secondaire est considérée comme un agent neurotoxique. À ce jour, la littérature traitant des liens entre l’exposition à la fumée secondaire à l’enfance et les comportements antisociaux repose majoritairement sur des devis transversaux ou porte sur la période développementale de l’enfance. Objectif. D’une part, nous souhaitons repousser l’âge auquel les comportements antisociaux sont mesurés en le portant à la préadolescence. De plus, nous souhaitons utiliser des données autorapportées afin d’utiliser une mesure possiblement plus valide des comportements antisociaux. Finalement, nous souhaitons confirmer les résultats longitudinaux précédemment rapportés par les parents ou les enseignants à l’âge de 10 ans. Méthode. Les parents de 1035 enfants ayant participé à l’Étude longitudinale des enfants du Québec ont rapporté si au moins un individu fumait au domicile (entre l’âge d’un an et demi et sept ans). Les variables dépendantes autorévélées (mesurées à douze ans) comprenaient les problèmes de conduite, l’agressivité proactive, l’agressivité réactive, l’indiscipline scolaire et le risque de décrochage. Résultats. Après l’inclusion des variables de contrôle, nous avons observé que l’exposition à la fumée secondaire est prospectivement associée aux problèmes de conduite, l’agressivité proactive, l’agressivité réactive, l’indiscipline scolaire et le risque de décrochage autorévélés. Discussion. Les jeunes exposés à la fumée secondaire à l’enfance rapportent avoir plus de comportements antisociaux. Nos résultats corroborent les recommandations du American Surgeon’s General indiquant qu’aucune exposition à la fumée secondaire ne peut être considérée sécuritaire à l’enfance. / Introduction. Secondhand smoke is considered a developmental neurotoxicant. Up to this day, research on secondhand smoke and later antisocial behavior has remained cross-sectional or in the developmental period of childhood. Objective. We sough to extend previous research by extending to age 12 our prospective associational model. Also, we use self-reported data for validity reasons and to cross-match previous research using parent and teacher-rated data at age 10. Method. Parents reported the amount of household smoke exposure (between ages 1.5 and 7) for 1035 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Main outcome measures include self-reported conduct problems, proactive aggression, reactive aggression, dropout risk, and school indiscipline at age 12. Results. After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed that secondhand smoke is prospectively associated to conduct problems, proactive and reactive aggression, school indiscipline, and dropout risk. Discussion. Children exposed to household smoke reported increased risks of reporting antisocial behavior at age 12. Our findings corroborate the recommendation of the American Surgeon’s General that no smoke exposure can be considered safe.

Contexte et objectifs. Le contrôle de soi serait, selon Gottfredson et Hirschi (1990), le meilleur prédicteur de la délinquance. Il serait déterminé, selon les auteurs, exclusivement par les facteurs environnementaux (compétences parentales, surveillance et punition) et ce, avant l'âge de sept ans. Il ne serait pas question des facteurs génétiques dans l'étiologie du contrôle de soi. Or, plusieurs études récentes menées à l'adolescence et à l'âge adulte avancent que le contrôle de soi serait d'origine partiellement génétique. Deux objectifs seront poursuivis. D'abord, considérant que le contrôle de soi, tel que décrit par Gottfredson et Hirschi (1990), n'ait jamais été étudié spécifiquement à la petite enfance, il a été nécessaire d'opérationnaliser le construit à la petite enfance à partir des informations existantes sur le contrôle de soi. Ensuite, il s'agira d'estimer l’influence relative des facteurs génétiques et environnementaux sur le contrôle de soi à 18, 30 et 48 mois. Méthodologie. En tout, 672 familles de jumeaux monozygotes ou dizygotes de la grande région métropolitaine de Montréal ont pris part à l'Étude des jumeaux nouveau-nés du Québec. Les items utilisés proviennent du Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1994) et ont été obtenus via les parents des jumeaux. La zygotie a été évaluée à l’aide du Zygosity Questionnaire for Young Twins (Goldsmith, 1991) et le sexe a été déterminé par les assistants de recherché. Trois temps de mesures furent étudiés : 18 mois (n = 664), 30 mois (n = 617) et 48 mois (n = 531). Résultats. Les résultats des analyses factorielles confirmatoires suggèrent par le biais des estimés qu'il soit possible de générer un facteur du contrôle de soi à la petite enfance à partir des indicateurs sélectionnés et que ceux-ci se regroupent sous l'égide d'un seul facteur. Les résultats concernant l’étiologie montrent que les différences individuelles observées seraient, majoritairement influencées par les facteurs génétiques (additifs ou de dominance) suivis par les environnements uniques. Conclusion. Les résultats suggèrent que les facteurs génétiques jouent un rôle important dans l’étiologie des différences individuelles dans le contrôle de soi tôt dans le développement alors que les environnements communs ne seraient pas impliqués. Les résultats sont compatibles avec les études menées à l'adolescence et à l'âge adulte et sont en contradiction avec les postulats de Gottfredson et Hirschi (1990). / Context and goals. Self-control is described by Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) as the most reliable predictor of delinquency. The authors suggest that self-control is determined primarily by environmental factors, including parental monitoring of their children, the recognition of bad behaviors, the appropriate correction of the bad behaviors, of which the individual differences are deemed stable by age seven. The main goal of this study was to examine the genetic and environmental etiology of self-control in toddlerhood. Specifically, this study aims to 1) evaluate whether self-control can be reliably operationalized in toddlerhood; and 2) estimate the genetic and environmental contributions of individual differences in self-control in this period of development. Methods. The sample consisted of 672 pairs of monozygotic or dizygotic twins who grew up in the greater Montreal area. Information about the twins were collected from the parent that knows the child best using the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1994) whereas the zygosity was determined by the Zygosity Questionnaire for Young Twins (Goldsmith, 1991). For the purpose of this study, only three waves of data collection were used: 18 months (n = 332 pairs), 30 months (n = 309 pairs) et 48 months (n = 266 pairs). Results. The results support the idea self-control can be estimated from six behavioral and attitudinal indicators (impulsivity, disobedience, bad temper, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and inattention) and derived in a single factor as early as 18 months of age. At 18, 30 and 48 months of age, the best fitted models indicated that only genetic and uniquely experienced environmental factors underlined individual differences in self-control. Interpretation. Contrary to Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) hypothesis, individual differences in self-control in toddlerhood is moderately explained by genetic factors, the reminder being relegated to uniquely experienced environments. Also noteworthy is the absence of a shared-environmental etiology, part of which is expected to comprise family influences experienced by both twins, such as the parental monitoring of their children, the recognition of bad behaviors and the appropriate correction of the bad behaviors.

O presente estudo objetivou verificar se intervenções terapêuticas analítico-comportamentais com adolescentes infratores de alto-risco estariam relacionadas à diminuição dos comportamentos indesejáveis de hostilidade, mentir e culpar o outro e ao aumento de comportamentos adequados de auto-revelação, expressão de sentimentos positivos e expressão de arrependimento. Visou também identificar as intervenções mais utilizadas pelo psicoterapeuta e verificar se as mudanças estariam relacionadas à diminuição da reincidência criminal, permanência na escola, manutenção do trabalho e promoção de auto-sustento. / This study aimed to verify whether behavioral analytic therapeutic intervention with high-risk juvenile offenders would be related to the decrease of undesirable behaviors such as hostility, lying, and blaming others, as well as the increase of desirable behaviors like self-disclosure, expression of positive feelings, and regrets. It also aimed to identify which interventions the psychotherapist used, and verify whether changes were related to the following measures of social reintegration: decrease in criminal recidivism, remaining at school, job maintenance, and self-sustenance.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

O presente estudo objetivou verificar se intervenções terapêuticas analítico-comportamentais com adolescentes infratores de alto-risco estariam relacionadas à diminuição dos comportamentos indesejáveis de hostilidade, mentir e culpar o outro e ao aumento de comportamentos adequados de auto-revelação, expressão de sentimentos positivos e expressão de arrependimento. Visou também identificar as intervenções mais utilizadas pelo psicoterapeuta e verificar se as mudanças estariam relacionadas à diminuição da reincidência criminal, permanência na escola, manutenção do trabalho e promoção de auto-sustento. / This study aimed to verify whether behavioral analytic therapeutic intervention with high-risk juvenile offenders would be related to the decrease of undesirable behaviors such as hostility, lying, and blaming others, as well as the increase of desirable behaviors like self-disclosure, expression of positive feelings, and regrets. It also aimed to identify which interventions the psychotherapist used, and verify whether changes were related to the following measures of social reintegration: decrease in criminal recidivism, remaining at school, job maintenance, and self-sustenance.

Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common mental health problems globally. Antisocial behaviors can occur in early age and develop into delinquency. The aim of the study was to investigate longitudinally, with a six-month follow-up the association between mental health problems (i.e. depressive and anxiety symptoms) and delinquency among Italian early adolescents and if this association differs for boys and girls. A quantitative method was used with secondary data. The sample consisted of 155 Italian 12 years old adolescents. A longitudinal design with two occasions of measurement was used, which allows to follow individuals over time. The cross-sectional results showed that depressive symptoms were positively associated with delinquency in the total sample. However, no association was showed between anxiety symptoms and delinquency at the baseline. In addition, longitudinal results showed that medium/high delinquent behavior after six-month follow-up can partly be explained by depressive symptoms at baseline, but not by anxiety symptoms in the total sample. The longitudinal results also showed that increased levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms among boys increased the probability of having medium/high delinquent behavior, but not among girls. In conclusion, mental health problems can to some extent explain delinquency, especially among boys.