Peer-reviewed article
Life course, value orientation and self-concept in adolescents with delinquent behavior: a comparative study of delinquent, psychiatric, and healthy youths.
Gampe H, Winds K, Rainer L, Plattner B ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study compared adolescents with delinquent behavior to those with psychiatric disorders and healthy peers, examining their life experiences, values, self-concept, and emotions. Adolescents with delinquent behavior reported more childhood strain, housing instability, weak bonds with caregivers, and inconsistent values compared to healthy peers. Both delinquent and psychiatric groups experienced higher negative emotions than healthy adolescents. The research suggests that delinquency results from combined early adversity, unstable environments, and difficulty developing stable self-concepts and values.
Key points
- Delinquent adolescents described significantly greater strain across their developmental course including housing and caregiving instability
- Both delinquent and psychiatric groups reported higher levels of negative affect than healthy adolescents on the PANAS measure
- Adolescents with delinquent behavior showed difficulties in forming coherent and socially oriented value systems
- Delinquent adolescents had insecure bonding experiences with primary caregivers and self-concepts marked by overcompensation
- Psychiatric group showed greater variability in protective factors and more opportunities for therapeutic support compared to delinquent group
Limitations
The study does not specify the countries where research was conducted. The sample size is relatively small (N=48) and uses self-report measures and narrative data, which may not capture objective behavioral outcomes or longer-term consequences of the identified risk factors.
Abstract
Background Juvenile delinquency is closely linked to complex psychosocial and value-based developmental trajectories. This study compares life-course narratives (childhood and school experiences, daily life structure), value orientation, self-concept, and standardized self-reports of emotions among adolescents with delinquent behavior, adolescents with psychiatric disorders, and healthy peers. Methods Using a mixed-methods design, narrative interviews were conducted with all three groups (N = 48). Participants were asked to describe their feelings in relation to these domains in order to assess emotional processing, measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results Compared with their healthy peers, narratives from adolescents with delinquent behavior were characterized by greater strain across their developmental course. These descriptions were marked by housing and caregiving instability, insecure bonding experiences with primary caregivers, difficulties in forming coherent and socially oriented value systems, and a tendency toward self-concepts marked by overcompensation. Regarding emotional experience, PANAS results indicate that both the delinquent and psychiatric groups reported higher levels of negative affect than healthy adolescents. Although adolescents with psychiatric disorders also reported adversity, their narratives tended to reflect greater variability in protective factors and more opportunities to benefit from therapeutic and relational support. Conclusion The findings suggest that delinquent behavior may arise from the cumulative interplay of early adversity, environmental instability, disrupted relational experiences, and challenges in developing individualized values and stable, non-compensatory self-concepts. These results highlight the importance of interventions that address potential moral injury, strengthen reliable relational contexts, and promote socially integrated value orientations. Qualitative approaches provide important insights into these mechanisms and should complement quantitative assessments when working with high-risk youth.