Antisocial behavior during adolescence: socio-emotional correlations, predictors and gender differences

The three objectives of this research were: 1) to analyse the relationships between antisocial behavior and several socio-emotional factors of adolescent personality, 2) to identify predicting variables of this behavior, and 3) to determine whether differences according to gender were involved. The sample was made up of 174 adolescent aged 12-14 years. The study employed a correlational methodology, and thirteen evaluation instruments were used in order to assess the variables. The results of correlational analyses (Pearson) suggest that adolescents with high antisocial behavior show: few social behaviors of consideration for others, self-control, prosocial, assertive, and passive behaviors; many aggressive social behaviors with peers, and low level of social adaptation. Furthermore, these participants have low self-concept and a negative perception of the classmates. On the other hand, they have many prejudiced cognitions regarding different socio-cultural groups, few non prejudiced neutral cognitions, low capacity for empathy, high impulsiveness, and many scholars problems. Multiple regression analyses allow identification of the following predicting variables of antisocial behavior: many aggressive behaviors, few prosocial behaviors, high impulsiveness, few social behaviors of consideration for others, high negative self-concept, and few non prejudiced neutral cognitions. ANOVA results did not show significant gender differences in antisocial behavior.