Psychosocial Differences between Male Juvenile Delinquents and Normal Adolescents

In criminology, early-onset problematic behaviours among male adolescents are studied to identify contributing factors of juvenile delinquency. This present study aims to compare the psychosocial differences, and the influence of psychological functioning and social context between male juvenile delinquents and normal adolescents. The research design was comparative cross-sectional, involving two groups: male juvenile delinquents (n=101) and normal male adolescents (n=317). Data collected was analyzed for descriptive analysis for demographic comparisons. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were conducted to identify associations among the variables measured. The results suggested that the study sample differed from the control group in almost all psychosocial attributes except self-esteem and attachment to teacher. The present findings provide empirical evidence for practical implications especially in individual assessment in addressing specific psychosocial variables among problematic adolescents.