Suchergebnisse

La présente étude a exploré les patrons d'interactions physiques de familles ayant des garçons agressifs. Trois groupes de familles furent sélectionnés sur la base d'évaluations de l'agressivité de leurs garçons. Le premier groupe, « agressif stable » (N = 10), était formé par des familles ayant des garçons agressifs à la maternelle et qui l'étaient toujours à 11 ans ; le deuxième groupe, « agressif non stable » (N = 10), était formé par des familles ayant des garçons agressifs à la maternelle uniquement, et le troisième groupe « non agressif » (N = 10) , était formé par des familles ayant des garçons n'ayant jamais présenté de problèmes de comportement. Une grille d'observation du contact physique fut élaborée afin de coder les contacts physiques à l'intérieur des dyades mère-enfant et père-enfant pendant l'exécution de tâches « faciles » et « difficiles » à l'ordinateur. Chaque catégorie de contact (affection, agression, contrôle et contact prolongé) ainsi que la fréquence totale de contacts furent analysées. Les résultats ne montrent pas de différences significatives entre les deux groupes agressifs (stable et non stable) quant à leur interaction physique. La comparaison a posteriori des deux groupes agressifs avec le groupe non agressif révèle que les groupes agressifs se touchent en général plus et présentent plus de contacts affectifs dans la situation de tâche difficile. De plus, on observe que les mères à enfants agressifs sont plus contrôlantes et les pères moins contrôlants que leurs équivalents dans le groupe non agressif. Une plus grande fréquence d'interaction entre la mère et le garçon ainsi qu'une plus grande fréquence de touchers agressifs de la mère semblent être des patrons d'interaction physiques associées à la stabilité de l'agression chez l'enfant. Ces résultats suggèrent des conflits dans la relation mère-enfant chez le groupe agressif stable principalement. Les patrons de touchers traditionnels (mère-affective, père-contrôlant) observés dans les familles du groupe non agressif suggèrent l'importance de cette distinction pour l'adaptation de l'enfant.

A longitudinal and multilevel approach is used to examine the relationship between antisocial behavior during adolescence and high school social climate. The data are taken from a longitudinal study of 1,233 boys and girls who attended 217 public and private high schools. Students' disruptive behaviors were assessed yearly from 6 to 12 years of age. High school social climate was assessed by teachers, and students reported on their violent and nonviolent antisocial behavior while in high school. The multilevel analyses revealed (1) a large difference between the percentage of variance explained within schools (97%), compared with between schools (3%), and (2) teachers' reports of classroom behavior problems explain between‐school differences in student reported antisocial behavior, after controlling for students' family adversity and history of behavior problems during elementary school. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are examined and future directions for research are discussed.

Abstract Drawing on two complementary process models of violence, i.e., social cognitive

theory and rejection sensitivity theory, the goal of the present study was (1) to

examine the unique effects of parents and peers on boys' violent behavior

in delinquency‐related contexts and in dating relationships, (2) to assess the mediating

processes underlying these links, and (3) to test whether these processes operate

in the same way for delinquency‐related violence and dating violence. Based on a

sample of 336 boys, results showed that problematic experiences with parents and

with peers each predicted subsequent violence, both in delinquency‐related and in

dating‐related contexts. However, the contributions of the social cognitive model

and the rejection sensitivity model in explaining these links varied somewhat depending

on the situational context of the violent behavior. The implications of the similarities

and specificities in the risk factors and pathways leading to delinquency‐related

violence and dating violence are discussed.

We examined whether a preschool intervention program moderates the effects of perinatal complications with a sample of boys from the most disadvantaged areas of Montreal (Canada). Some boys experienced the preschool program and some did not, which allowed us to test whether the program had any effects on the boys' risk for early adolescent delinquency given their perinatal histories. We hypothesized that perinatal complications would place boys at significantly greater risk for antisocial behavior during early adolescence and that participation in a preventive preschool program might circumvent this risk. Independent of maternal sociodemographic characteristics, boys with a history of perinatal complications showed no greater risk of reporting delinquency during early adolescence than their same‐sex peers without a history of perinatal complications. Surprisingly, the program showed a beneficial effect on boys with no history of serious perinatal complications. Such boys were less at risk for delinquency. In the presence of a serious medical condition after birth, the benefits of the program decreased significantly to the point that it placed the boys at risk.

Whether disruptive elementary school boys displayed a developmental lag in their level of interpersonal understanding was investigated. The social-cognitive level of individuals and of friendship understanding, as outlined in the Selman (1980) theory, were compared across two groups of boys contrasted on their level of stable disruptiveness according to teachers. As expected, level of interpersonal understanding moved forward for the two groups within the two years period between the two assessments. Predictions regarding a social-cognitive developmental lag on the part of stable disruptive boys are only partly confirmed. Results are discussed in the larger context of the relationships between social-cognitive development and the development of social competence.

Au cours d'un programme de recherche longitudinale, nous avons étudié quelques variables prédictives et concomitantes des comportements agressifs à l'école maternelle. Les garçons évalués agressifs (N - 220) par des institutrices de 54 écoles au moyen du Questionnaire d'Evaluation des Comportements au Préscolaire (QECP), ont été distingués en fonction de leurs scores de comportements prosociaux et de retrait social. Les principaux résultats montrent que sur le plan comportemental les garçons agressifs se distribuent en quatre catégories : ceux qui ont beaucoup de comportements prosociaux et peu de comportements de retrait social (P+R-), ceux qui ont beaucoup de comportements prosociaux et beaucoup de comportements de retrait social (P+R+), ceux qui ont peu de comportements prosociaux et peu de comportements de retrait social (P-R-), ceux qui ont peu de comportements prosociaux et beaucoup de comportements de retrait social (P-R+). Les garçons du groupe P + R— ont le score le plus faible de comportements agressifs. Ce sont les groupes P-R+ et P+R— qui se distinguent le mieux lorsque nous étudions les caractéristiques familiales. Les garçons du groupe P—R+ proviennent moins souvent de familles de deux enfants que les garçons des autres groupes, leurs mères ont tendance à être moins scolarisées, à être moins souvent sur le marché du travail et les garçons ont moins d'expérience de garderie. Les garçons du groupe P + R— proviennent surtout de familles de 2 enfants et les mères ont tendance à être plus scolarisées. Pour les fins de prédiction des difficultés d'adaptation sociale future (particulièrement de délinquance), et pour les fins de prévention, il est proposé que le groupe P — R+ est le plus à risque alors que le groupe P+R— est le moins à risque.

Abstract This study examined the stability of belonging to a gang in early adolescence, the behaviour profiles, family characteristics, and friendships of nongang and gang members. The subjects in the present study were originally part of a larger sample of boys. One hundred and forty‐two boys who had a complete data set at ages 11, 12, 13, and 14 were selected for the present study. Loglinear analyses indicated that gang membership was stable from ages 13 to 14, but not at earlier ages. Boys were divided into three groups: stable gang members (children who belonged to a gang at ages 13 and 14); unstable gang members (children who belonged to a gang at either age 13 or 14) and nongang members. Repeated analyses of variance indicated that stable gang members had significantly higher scores than nongang members on teacher ratings of fighting behaviour, hyperactivity, inattention and oppositional behaviour, and self‐reported delinquent activities (drug and alcohol use, stealing and vandalism). Peers rated gang members as more aggressive than nongang members. The results are discussed from a developmental perspective.

Over the past decade, epigenetic analyses have made important contributions to our understanding of healthy development and a wide variety of adverse conditions such as cancer and psychopathology. There is increasing evidence that DNA methylation is a mechanism by which environmental factors influence gene transcription and, ultimately, phenotype. However, differentiating the effects of the environment from those of genetics on DNA methylation profiles remains a significant challenge. Monozygotic (MZ) twin study designs are unique in their ability to control for genetic differences because each pair of MZ twins shares essentially the same genetic sequence with the exception of a small number of de novo mutations and copy number variations. Thus, differences within twin pairs in gene expression and phenotype, including behavior, can be attributed in the majority of cases to environmental effects rather than genetic influence. In this article, we review the literature showing how MZ twin designs can be used to study basic epigenetic principles, contributing to understanding the role of early in utero and postnatal environmental factors on the development of psychopathology. We also highlight the importance of initiating longitudinal and experimental studies with MZ twins during pregnancy. This approach is especially important to identify: (1) critical time periods during which the early environment can impact brain and mental health development, and (2) the specific mechanisms through which early environmental effects may be mediated. These studies may inform the optimum timing and design for early preventive interventions aimed at reducing risk for psychopathology.

Trajectories of prosocial behavior and physical aggression between 6 and 12 years of age were identified for a sample (N=1,025) of males. The trajectories were then used to predict school dropout and physical violence at age 17. Using a group‐based semi‐parametric method, two trajectories of prosociality (low and moderate declining) and three trajectories of physical aggression (low, moderate, and high declining) were obtained. Only a small minority (3.4%) of the boys were characterized by both high aggression and moderate prosociality. Physical aggression predicted both school dropout and physical violence, but contrary to expectations, prosocial behavior did not have additive or protective effects.