Identity formation in juvenile delinquents and clinically referred youth

T.A. Klimstra, Elisabetta Crocetti, W.W. III Hale, Aline I.m. Kolman, Eveline Fortanier, W.H.J.. Meeus

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Inroduction
Little is known about how juvenile delinquents and clinically referred youth handle the key developmental task of identity formation.
Objective
The aim of this study was to compare identity formation in juvenile delinquent and clinically referred boys to identity formation in boys drawn from the general population.
Method
Mean scores on identity dimensions and membership to identity statuses in ideological (i.e., education) and interpersonal (i.e., relationship with the best friend) domains were compared across groups of juvenile delinquent boys (n = 30), clinically referred boys (n = 21), and boys drawn from the general adolescent population (n = 30).
Results
Juvenile delinquents, but not clinically referred youth, displayed a weaker identity in both the ideological and interpersonal domain than adolescents from the general population.
Discussion
Identity formation among juvenile delinquents deserves more attention from both researchers and clinicians.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)123-130
JournalEuropean Review of Applied Psychology = Revue Européenne de psychologie appliquée
Volume61
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

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