RESUMEN
Although violence and homicide are more prevalent in Colombia, South America than the US, the role of psychosocial factors in the violent behavior of Colombian adolescents remains unclear. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the interrelation of domains of personality, familial, peer, and ecological variables associated with violence in a community sample of adolescents from various self-reported ethnic groups in Colombia. The sample consisted of 1,151 male adolescents selected from three Colombian cities. The participants were surveyed using structured interviews at two points in time over a 2-year interval. Data were collected concerning adolescent personal attributes, family characteristics, peer, and ecological factors, including drug availability and the prevalence of violence in the community. The dependent variable was the self-reported frequency of the adolescent's violent behavior. The results supported a model in which violent behavior was correlated independently over time with a number of risk factors from several domains. Evidence for the hypothesized mediated effects of the familial monitoring and bonding domain, the peer domain, the ecological domain, and prior victimization related to personal attributes and contemporaneous violence and the adolescent's violent behavior 2 years later was also found. The findings suggest the use of specific intervention procedures with adolescents to prevent their subsequent violent behavior.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente , Violencia , Adolescente , Adulto , Colombia , Predicción , Humanos , Entrevistas como Asunto , Masculino , PsicologíaRESUMEN
The authors assessed whether (a) early illicit drug use predicted later risky sexual activity, (b) early risky sex predicted later illicit drug use, and (c) common factors affected both risky sexual behavior and illicit drug use. African American and Puerto Rican youth completed questionnaires in their classrooms at Time 1 (T1) and face-to-face interviews with the authors in their homes 5 years later at Time 2 (T2). Logistic regression analyses showed the association between T1 illicit drug use and T2 risky sexual activity and between T1 risky sexual behavior and T2 illicit drug use. With few exceptions, T1 illicit drug use was associated with all of the T2 risky sexual behaviors. After controlling for demographic factors, the authors found that multiple sex partners at T1 was not related to illicit drug use at T2. Condom use at T1 was related to illicit drug use at T2, whereas sexually transmitted diseases and adolescent pregnancy were not related to this drug use. The findings indicated that assessments of and treatments for substance use should focus on the risky sexual behaviors that seem to accompany illicit drug use.
Asunto(s)
Negro o Afroamericano/psicología , Hispánicos o Latinos/psicología , Asunción de Riesgos , Conducta Sexual/etnología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/etnología , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Ciudad de Nueva York/epidemiología , Puerto Rico/etnología , Conducta Sexual/psicología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/prevención & control , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Violence and homicide are more prevalent in Colombia, South America, than in the United States, but the role of psychosocial factors in the violent behavior of Colombian adolescents remains unclear. The objective of the study was to identify personality, familial, peer, and ecological variables associated with violence in Colombian adolescents. METHOD: A survey of adolescents was conducted in 1995-1996. A standard self-report measure was adapted to ensure linguistic and cultural relevance. A total of 2,837 adolescents ages 12-17 years from various self-reported ethnic groups were randomly selected from the community in three Colombian cities: Bogota, Medellin, and Barranquilla. Eighty percent of eligible adolescents agreed to participate. Data were collected concerning the adolescent's personality attributes, family characteristics, peer characteristics, and ecological/cultural factors, including the availability of illicit drugs and the prevalence of violence in the community. The dependent variable was the adolescent's self-reported frequency of violent behavior. RESULTS: Violence directed at the adolescent and the adolescent's own drug use were both more highly correlated with the adolescent's violent behavior than were other risk factors. Significant risk factors of less importance included tolerance of deviance, peer drug use, peer deviance, and exposure to violence on television. CONCLUSIONS: The results supported a model in which violent behavior was correlated independently with a number of risk factors from several domains. The findings point to the use of specific intervention procedures for adolescents to prevent their own subsequent acts of violent behavior.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente/etnología , Etnicidad/psicología , Violencia/etnología , Adolescente , Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Adulto , Niño , Hijo de Padres Discapacitados , Colombia/etnología , Comparación Transcultural , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Inventario de Personalidad , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica , Análisis de Regresión , Factores de Riesgo , Medio Social , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/etnología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos , Población Urbana , Violencia/psicología , Violencia/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
This study examines the interactive effects of background factors and personality/attitudinal and perceived environmental dimensions on adolescent drug behaviour. Data were collected during home interviews using a structured interview schedule. The sample consisted of 403 British West Indian black, American black and white adolescents, ranging in age from 13 to 17. Results suggested that two processes, nonconformity to conventional middle class values at both the personality/attitudinal and institutional level and modeling of familial and peer drug use account in large part for adeolescent drug behaviour. The majority of correlates of adolescent drug behaviour were similar in different sex, age and ethnic groups. (AU)