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Social Bonds, Identity, and Violence

Explore the correlation between core competencies, social bonds, and violent behavior among adolescents using a nationally representative sample. Analyze competency indicators such as self-esteem, positive affect, self-control, decision-making, and social connectedness. Investigate if these competencies predict persistent violent behavior into adulthood, late-onset violence, and gender differences in offending patterns. Discover that self-esteem consistently influences all offending patterns and genders. Emphasize the importance of positive competency development for violence prevention.

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Social Bonds, Identity, and Violence

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  1. Social Bonds, Identity, and Violence Emily K. Asencio – University of Akron Tia E. Kim – Penn State Brandywine Kirk R. Williams – University of California, Riverside

  2. Background • Studies demonstrate a clear connection between social bonds and refraining from delinquency and crime (Laub and Sampson 1993; Laub and Sampson 2003) • Additional work, though minimal, demonstrates a connection between an individual’s cognitive and emotional characteristics (Giordano, Cernkovich, and Rudolph 2002; Giordano, Schroeder, and Cernkovich 2007)

  3. Background • Recent studies demonstrate that a combination of bonds and individual characteristics known as “core competencies” provides a more comprehensive explanation for problem behavioral outcomes. (Guerra and Bradshaw 2008; Kim, Guerra, and Williams 2008).

  4. Current Study • Do competency indicators predict… • persistence of violent behavior into adulthood? • starting violent behavior in adulthood? • Are there gender differences in these relations?

  5. Participants • 11,610 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) • Add Health Data set is nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 to 12, conducted in mid-1990s • Current study used data from three waves • Wave I – 1995 • Wave II - 1996 • Wave III – 2001-2002

  6. Measures • Competency Indicators • Self-esteem: 6-item scale (e.g. “you like yourself the way you are”) • Positive affect: 10-item scale (e.g. “bothered by things that usually don’t bother you”) • Self control: 3-item scale (e.g. “you had trouble keeping your mind on what you were doing”) • Decision making: 5-item scale (e.g. “when making decisions, you generally use a systematic method for judging and comparing alternatives”) • Social connectedness: 5-item scale (e.g. “you feel close to people at your school”)

  7. Measures • Outcome • Violence during the life course (Violent behavior at Waves I, II, or III) • Desistance from violence during adult transition (Violent behavior at Waves I and/or II, but not Wave III) • Late starters (Violent behavior at Wave III only)

  8. Results

  9. Results-Females vs. Males

  10. Summary • The same competencies are predictors of different offending status outcomes. • Self esteem is the only competency that is a consistent predictor across all offending patterns and gender.

  11. Conclusions and Future Directions • Studies focused on predictors of violence should consider different offending patterns • Prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing violent behaviors should focus on positive development of the core competencies.

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