Coping resources mediating the relationship between stressful life events and delinquent behavior among adolescents

Graduation date: 1994Stressful events of both major and minor magnitude in\ud the lives of children and adolescents are significantly\ud related to emotional and behavioral problems (Compas, 1987a;\ud Johnson, 1986). It is also apparent, however, that this\ud relationship is complicated and that individuals vary greatly\ud in their responses to stress. The purpose of this study was\ud to explore factors that mediate the relationship between\ud negative life events and behavioral problems during\ud adolescence.\ud In this study, it was hypothesized that negative life\ud events would lower personal resources which, in turn, would\ud lower social resources. Adolescents with lower levels of\ud personal and social resources were predicted to have higher\ud levels of delinquent behavior.\ud Data were collected from 217 of the 9th graders in a high\ud school in a coastal community of Oregon. One hundred sixty-one\ud returned completed surveys. The following scales were\ud used; the Divorce Events Schedule for Children (Sandler,\ud Wolchik, Braver, & Fogas, 1986), a shortened form of the\ud Adolescent Perceived Events Scale (Compas, Davis, Forsythe, &\ud Wagner, 1987),; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965);\ud Desirable and Undesirable Event Locus of Control Scale\ud (Rothbaum, Wolfer, & Visintainer, 1979); Erikson Psychosocial\ud Stage Inventory (Rosenthal, Gurney, & Moore, 1981); Social\ud Support Scale for Children (Harter, 1986); Delinquency\ud Lifestyle Scale (Ageton & Elliott, 1978). For data analysis,\ud a series of path analyses using regression techniques was\ud used.\ud Results indicated that coping resources mediated the\ud relationship between negative life events and delinquent\ud behavior. A high level of stress was related to lower levels\ud of personal resources. These personal resources were not\ud directly related to more delinquent behavior, however.\ud Rather, they were associated with lower social support and\ud then more delinquent behavior.\ud The findings related to specific personal resources were\ud both consistent and contrary to predictions. Negative life\ud events lowered self-esteem, identity, and autonomy development\ud significantly. Consistent with previous research, adolescents\ud with external locus of control orientation had more delinquent\ud behavior and perceived less social support. Social support\ud was a mediator between negative life events and delinquent\ud behavior, implying the importance of social support from\ud family, school, and peer in preventing delinquent behavior\ud among adolescents