Lynne Sarah D, Graber Julia A, Nichols Tracy R, Brooks-Gunn Jeanne, Botvin Gilbert J
Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-2250, USA.
J Adolesc Health. 2007 Feb;40(2):181.e7-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.09.008. Epub 2006 Nov 29.
To evaluate underlying mechanisms of the association between early pubertal timing and both aggression and delinquency among a sample of minority males and females from an urban community.
The association between perceived early pubertal maturation and aggressive or delinquent behaviors for African American and Latino males and females (n = 1366) was examined, as well as pathways between early maturation and these negative outcomes longitudinally across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
Early maturers reported higher mean levels of both aggression and delinquency at all time points regardless of gender or ethnicity. Associating with delinquent peers in 6th grade fully mediated the association between early maturation and both aggression and delinquency at all time points. Early maturers did not differentially associate with greater numbers of delinquent peers in either 7th or 8th grade.
These results provide valuable information regarding at-risk groups and inform future intervention efforts.
评估城市社区中少数族裔男性和女性样本中青春期早发与攻击行为和犯罪行为之间关联的潜在机制。
研究了非裔美国人和拉丁裔男性及女性(n = 1366)所感知到的青春期早熟与攻击或犯罪行为之间的关联,以及从六年级到八年级纵向观察到的青春期早熟与这些负面结果之间的路径。
无论性别或种族如何,早熟者在所有时间点报告的攻击行为和犯罪行为平均水平都更高。六年级时与不良同伴交往完全介导了早熟与所有时间点的攻击行为和犯罪行为之间的关联。早熟者在七年级或八年级时与更多不良同伴交往的情况并无差异。
这些结果提供了有关高危群体的宝贵信息,并为未来的干预措施提供了参考。