DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES IN YOUNG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE ROLE OF FAMILY FUNCTIONING

Polazeći od ekološkog pristupa kao konceptualnog okvira, istražili smo povezanost izloženosti mladih antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici i njihovih razvojnih ishoda uz provjeru medijatorske uloge obiteljskog funkcioniranja i moderatorske uloge spola. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 558 adolescenata prosječne dobi 16,4 godina. Primijenjeni instrument sadržavao je upitnik sociodemografskih podataka te pet mjera različitih razina ekološkoga sustava: Skalu izloženosti antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici (egzosustav), Skalu roditeljskog znanja i Skalu obiteljske klime (mikrosustav), te Skalu opće samoefikasnosti i Upitnik snaga i poteškoća (pokazatelji razvojnih ishoda). U skladu s osnovnim postavkama ekološkog razvojnog modela, sustavi bliži osobi pokazali su se važnijima za predikciju njihovog funkcioniranja od udaljenijih sustava. Izloženost antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici se pokazala značajnom samo u predviđanju eksternaliziranih poteškoća, dok su za internalizirane poteškoće i individualne snage značajni prediktori bili samo pokazatelji obiteljskog funkcioniranja. Medijatorska uloga promatranih aspekata obiteljskog funkcioniranja u odnosu izloženosti antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici s eksternaliziranim poteškoćama bila je parcijalna, dok je u odnosu izloženosti antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici s internaliziranim poteškoćama i individualnim snagama bila potpuna. Pronađeni indirektni efekti obiteljskog funkcioniranja su od malog do srednjeg reda veličine. Za spol sudionika pokazalo se kako nema značajnu moderatorsku ulogu u odnosu izloženosti antisocijalnom ponašanju u zajednici, obiteljskog funkcioniranja i razvojnih ishoda mladih.Using an ecological approach as the conceptual framework, we investigated the connection between the exposure of young people to antisocial behaviour in the community and their developmental outcomes and checked the mediating role of family functioning and the moderating role of gender. A total of 558 adolescents of an average age of 16.4 years participated in the research. The applied instrument was a questionnaire on socio-demographic information and five measures of different ecological system levels: Scale of exposure to antisocial behaviour in the community (exosystem), Parental awareness scale, Scale of family atmosphere (microsystem), General self-efficiency scale and a Questionnaire of strengths and difficulties (indicators of developmental outcomes). In accordance with the main propositions of the ecological developmental model, the systems closer to the person tend to be more significant for the prediction of their functioning compared to more distant systems. Exposure to antisocial behaviour in the community proved to be significant only in predicting externalized difficulties, whereas for internalized difficulties and individual strengths the significant predictors were only the indicators of family functioning. The mediating role of the observed aspects of family functioning in relation to exposure to antisocial behaviour in the community with externalized difficulties was partial, while it was full in relation to exposure to antisocial behaviour in the community with internalized difficulties and individual strengths. Identified indirect effects of family functioning are small to medium. The participant\u27s gender did not show a significant moderating role in relation to exposure to antisocial behaviour in the community, family functioning or developmental outcomes of young people