Psychometric properties of the inventory of callous-unemotional traits short version (ICU-12) among detained female juvenile offenders and community youths*

The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits delineates a subgroup of male youth with severe conduct problems and antisocial behavior. To date however, existing research into these features among females is markedly limited. Drawing on 377 female adolescents (103 selected from forensic settings and 274 selected from school settings) from Portugal, the current study is the first to simultaneously examine the psychometric properties of the 12-item shortened version of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU-12) in incarcerated and community female youth. Results provide support for the construct validity and reliability of the ICU-12 among this unique sample. Findings from this study also reveal evidence of convergent and discriminant validity with a number of theoretically relevant constructs (e.g. psychopathic features, aggression, and substance use). Clinical implications for using the ICU-12 with females are discussed.     

青少年违法犯罪的家庭因素

家庭是青少年的第一课堂,父母是第一任教师,正确的家庭教育对青少年的健康成长是极其重要的,在行为上起着潜移默化的作用。而不正确的家庭教育在青少年的心理上形成人格障碍,严重影响孩子世界观的形成,极易被坏人所利用,甚至走上犯罪的道路。     

未成年犯罪人个性调查与分析

采用艾森克个性问卷及自编基本情况调查表对395名未成年男犯进行调查,结果显示,未成年男犯的个性与其作案年龄、入所前身份、家庭住址以及父母的教养方式等方面密切相关。     

EMPLOYING MEDIATION TO APPROACH TRUANTS

Truants have been dealt with by state and school officials with heedlessness, suspension, expulsion, and placement under the power of the courts. One problem faced in decreasing truancy is its lack of a common definition. Statistics show high rates of truancy with kids who subsequently drop out of school and there is a strong correlation between drop-out and unemployment, welfare, low salary, and imprisonment. The juvenile justice system does not reach the root of the truant's individual problems or adequately attempt to solve or assist the child and family in its goal to develop constructive and autonomous individuals.
Mediation is an alternative to a punishment-oriented approach to truancy. Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party helps participants reach their own agreement for resolving a dispute. Mediation is adaptable to the many different causes of truancy and can provide multiple benefits to truants and their families. The Ohio Commission On Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management has the most accomplished and consistently progressing truancy mediation program in the nation.
Critics of mediation have scrutinized the process for not placing enough emphasis on mediation's major elements, such as premediation instruction, exploitation of the informality of the process, and a lack of funding, which may render mediation weak and inefficient. Maintaining and emphasizing particular elements will benefit jurisdictions in their utilization of the process.     

The Emergence of a New Taboo: The Desexualisation of Youth in Western Societies since 1800

Sexual abuse of children and minors is, nowadays, regularly highlighted in the media. As such, it became an offence, however, only during the nineteenth century, along with the development of a particular, child-like social role of juveniles. Before 1800, adolescents were less excluded from adult life including marriage and procreation. Sexual activities were also generally criminalised outside marriage. Statutes concerning child abuse had their origins in these laws, as well as in statutes extending the scope of rape to the abuse of immature girls. Along with the increase of the age of consent from 10–12 to approximately 16 in most countries, abuse of boys and sexual contacts other than intercourse have been included in these statutes. This movement, sometimes supported by moral crusades against immorality, occurred in most Western countries along with the extension of the school system, and with the acceptance of the view that adolescence should, as a distinct period of life, be devoted to the preparation for adult life. In recent years, the focus has shifted from combating immorality to the protection of vulnerable parties. Sexual contacts between juveniles have been gradually decriminalised, whereas recent moral crusades call for more tougher prosecution policies, bringing to the courts a higher proportion of cases, including those involving acts committed abroad and/or in the remote past.     

Parental Monitoring Mediates the Effects of Age and Sex on Problem Behaviors Among African American Urban Young Adolescents

Adolescent delinquency, drug use and aggression remain societal concerns. These problems are more common with adolescent boys than girls, and tend to increase with age. Although a lack of parental monitoring has been found to be related to problem behaviors, the mediating role of monitoring on the relationship of sex and grade to problem behaviors has not been directly studied. This paper examined parental monitoring as a mediator of the relationship of sex and age to delinquency, drug use, and aggression in a sample of urban African American young adolescents. Our findings indicated that in general, boys and older adolescents reported higher rates of delinquency, drug use, and aggressiveness. Boys and older adolescents also indicated less monitoring by parents. Parental monitoring was found to mediate the effects of sex and grade on some of the behavioral problems.     

关于未成年人犯罪及预防的思考

未成年人犯罪是当今世界共同关注的一个问题,与毒品犯罪、环境污染一起构成世界三大公害。近年来,未成年人犯罪呈现低龄化、团伙作案、侵犯人身财产严重、手段残忍凶狠等新特点。预防未成年人犯罪需要家庭、学校、社会司法等各部门密切配合,共同努力。     

对不健康文献的防范对策

不健康文献是毒害未成年人的毒剂,严重的表现可以直接导致其违法犯罪,这是笔者经过调查所得出的结论。既然是毒剂,就要从防毒、禁毒、治毒的角度来制定相应的对策。首先,全社会要统一认识,用内容健康的文献占领文化市场;其次,采取切实可行的措施,加强对未成年人的引导;再次,绝对禁止不健康文献的传播;最后,对未成年人接触不健康文献后要采取相应的治疗对策。     

Sex differences in self-reported delinquency and official records: A multiple-group structural modeling approach

There has been a large increase in research in the last 10 years or so on the nature, extent, and causes of female delinquency, especially on how patterns differ from those of male delinquency. Few research efforts, however, have systematically examined sex differences in the reliability and construct validity of the most common technique used in causal research-the self—report method. The present study addresses this issue by empirically examining male-female differences in self-report reliabilities and the effect of the prevalence and incidence of delinquent behavior on official contact (i.e., arrest, court referrals). Multiple-group covriance structure models are employed to test hypotheses of measurement and structural invariance. The major conclusion is that while self-report measurement parameters (e.g., reliabilities) may differ, the structural link between the prevalence and incidence of delinquent behavior and official contact is generally invariant with respect to sex.     

未成年人犯罪之刑事立法完善

在对未成年人犯罪的刑事立法进行完善时,刑法应直接规定未成年人负刑事责任的起始年龄;明确列举已满14周岁不满16周岁的人承担刑事责任的具体罪名;增设时未成年犯罪人不得适用无期徒刑、"不满18周岁的人不构成累犯"的规定;放宽未成年人犯罪人适用缓刑、减刑、假释的条件等立法建议.