In this study, 224 ninth graders from two similar Kentucky towns were obtained by means of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. They were divided into various groups and analyzed in relation to a number of background factors and their resulting personality patterns. The emergence of various group patterns in this study demonstrates that the complexity of human personality necessitates complex analytic procedures.

Drawing on the data gathered from a longitudinal survey, the authors develop, test and present a comprehensive theoretical statement about the social and social psychological processes involved in the onset and course of deviant behaviour.

This volume provides a forum for interdisciplinary perspectives in the emerging discipline of developmental psychopathology. The goal is to elucidate the four central principles of this discipline: the application of classical developmental theory in work with atypical populations; the delineation of insights from atypical populations that inform developmental theory; the integration of methods and theories from various social science disciplines; and the description of implications for interventions and social policy. So far, there have been few efforts to present each of these principles of developmental psychopathology within a single, unifying framework. Illustrating these central principles across a range of state-of-the-art research programs, this unique collection of papers will be invaluable for students, current researchers, and clinicians seeking a sound understanding of this rapidly emerging social science discipline.

Control theories have dominated criminological theory and research since the 1969 publication of Hirschi's seminal work on the social bond. Social control and self-control theorists are unique in suggesting that patterns in criminal behaviors are better explained by variations in social constraints rather than by individual motivational impulses, thus indicating that their main concerns are the explication and clarification of the techniques, processes, and institutions of informal social control. The four major sections of this volume focus on: the similarities and differences among the major contributors to the early developmental stage of social control theory; the central importance of parents, peers, and schools in the creation of informal control mechanisms and their link to crime and delinquency; the theoretical underpinnings of self-control theory, including empirical tests and criticisms; and theoretical integrations of social control and self-control theories with various motivational theories of crime and delinquency.

Praise for Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition "The Second Edition of Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders showcases Phil Rich's experience and mastery of the research and clinical literature. In my view, this is an excellent therapy book and, like its predecessor, will help practitioners to work effectively and ethically with juvenile offenders. It is destined to become a classic." —Tony Ward, PhD, DipClinPsy; Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand "Phil Rich is considered one of the world's leading authorities on how best to understand, assess, and treat juvenile sexual offenders, and this Second Edition of his excellent text shows why he is held in such high regard. All theoreticians, researchers, and practitioners whose work brings them in contact with juvenile sexual offenders should definitely read this remarkable book." —W. L. Marshall, OC, FRSC, PhD; Director, Rockwood Psychological Services, Ontario, Canada "Phil Rich's book, Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition offers new and thought-provoking ideas, updates, and information, especially on developmental pathways. This book is one of the few publications on juvenile sexual offending that offers something new and revealing to the field." —Robert E. Longo, LPC, NCC, ACS, BCIA-EEG, BCN; Serendipity Healing Arts, Lexington, North Carolina "Phil Rich masterfully fills the gap in the juvenile sexual offender treatment literature with a book that is neither introductory nor narrowly specialized. Seasoned veterans will appreciate his thoughtful and studied approach. Newcomers will find this book a vital go-to resource." —David Prescott, LICSW, Clinical Director, Becket Family of Services, Falmouth, Maine "Mind-blowingly brilliant—Rich by name and rich in depth, detail, description, and debate. An instant classic, Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition is both comprehensive and challenging with its material and messages, yet reassuringly accessible and practical." —Martin C. Calder, Calder Social Work Training and Consultancy, Leigh, Lancashire, UK THE LANDMARK TEXT FOR WORKING WITH JUVENILE SEXUAL OFFENDERS AND UNDERSTANDING SEXUALLY ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS—NOW FULLY REVISED Thoroughly revised, the Second Edition of Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders guides mental health professionals through the breadth of assessment and intervention methods available for working with this special population, providing a succinct yet complete survey of the field, the etiological development of sexually abusive behavior in juveniles, and a reliable resource for assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Adolescence is a distinct, yet transient, period of development between childhood and adulthood characterized by increased experimentation and risk-taking, a tendency to discount long-term consequences, and heightened sensitivity to peers and other social influences. A key function of adolescence is developing an integrated sense of self, including individualization, separation from parents, and personal identity. Experimentation and novelty-seeking behavior, such as alcohol and drug use, unsafe sex, and reckless driving, are thought to serve a number of adaptive functions despite their risks. Research indicates that for most youth, the period of risky experimentation does not extend beyond adolescence, ceasing as identity becomes settled with maturity. Much adolescent involvement in criminal activity is part of the normal developmental process of identity formation and most adolescents will mature out of these tendencies. Evidence of significant changes in brain structure and function during adolescence strongly suggests that these cognitive tendencies characteristic of adolescents are associated with biological immaturity of the brain and with an imbalance among developing brain systems. This imbalance model implies dual systems: one involved in cognitive and behavioral control and one involved in socio-emotional processes. Accordingly adolescents lack mature capacity for self-regulations because the brain system that influences pleasure-seeking and emotional reactivity develops more rapidly than the brain system that supports self-control. This knowledge of adolescent development has underscored important differences between adults and adolescents with direct bearing on the design and operation of the justice system, raising doubts about the core assumptions driving the criminalization of juvenile justice policy in the late decades of the 20th century. It was in this context that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) asked the National Research Council to convene a committee to conduct a study of juvenile justice reform. The goal of Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach was to review recent advances in behavioral and neuroscience research and draw out the implications of this knowledge for juvenile justice reform, to assess the new generation of reform activities occurring in the United States, and to assess the performance of OJJDP in carrying out its statutory mission as well as its potential role in supporting scientifically based reform efforts.

The authors surveyed over 9,000 seventh grade students in the Houston Independent School District up to three times during their junior high school years and once as young adults between 1971 and 1980. Drawing on the extensive data gathered from this longitudinal survey, Kaplan and Johnson develop and test a comprehensive theoretical statement about the social and social psychological processes involved in the onset and course of deviant behavior.

This book investigates whether or not there is a causal link between personality traits and the development of alcohol abuse. Findings suggest that there is such a link: people who are inclined toward sensation-seeking are likely to consume more alcohol, and those who show high levels of psychotic and/or antisocial behavior are more inclined to have alcohol problems. The authors successfully develop and validate a measure of the Addiction-Prone Personality.

From Internet censorship to sex and violence on television and in video games to debates over rock lyrics, the effect of media on children and adolescents is one of the most widely debated issues in our society. The Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media presents state-of-the-art research and ready-to-use facts on the media′s interaction with children and adolescents. With more than 400 entries, the two volumes of this resource cover the traditional and electronic media and their controversial impact—for good and ill—on children and adolescents. Key Features Provides cross-disciplinary coverage from the fields of psychology, education, media studies and communication, sociology, and public policy Offers a cross-cultural perspective with contributing authors from around the globe and entries on the media in Europe and Asia Includes entries covering television, film, video games, the Internet and World Wide Web, magazines, music, and more Explores complex and difficult topics such as violence, sex, rating systems and warning labels, attention deficit disorder, body image and eating disorders, popular music lyrics, advertising, digital music downloading, parental involvement, policymaking, and child development

The current volume brings together social psychological theories and concepts and discusses their relevance to understanding substance use and addiction. It identifies convergence points between traditional perspectives on addiction and social psychological theory and research. This coexistence, which acknowledges the value of the conceptual and methodological advancements in each relevant field and attempts to integrate them, promotes scientific understanding and a more effective prevention and treatment of addiction.