From Struggle to Misconduct: The Role of Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Adolescent Delinquency

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to study the correlation between emotional and behavioral troubles and delinquent inclinations in teenagers. The survey design was cross-sectional and 250 adolescents between the ages of 14-17 years were sampled purposely in different schools both in the community and in the private sector in Gujrat, Pakistan. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure emotional and behavioral issues whereas the Self-Reported Delinquency Scale (SRDS) assessed delinquent behaviors. The findings showed that the two tools had good internal consistency reliabilities (a =.83 and.86 respectively). The Pearson correlation analysis indicated that there was a strong positive correlation between emotional and behavioral problems with delinquent behaviors (r =.84, p <.001) and the greater the emotional and behavioral problems, the higher the delinquent behavior. Also, the analysis of linear regression revealed that the proportion of delinquent behaviors significantly depended on emotional and behavioral issues, which explained 71% of the variance (R2 =.71). The independent samples t-test, however, showed no gender difference in both the emotional/behavioral problems and the delinquent behaviors. These results demonstrate the importance of emotional and behavioral problems in the development of delinquent behaviors as adolescents. The study highlights the importance of early diagnosis and prevention as well as school-based mental health programs to correct these problems. The cause and effect relationships should also be addressed in future research which takes a longitudinal and multi-informant approach.