Caracterización de los menores que agreden a sus padres

Résumé

Due to the lack of previous generalizable data, the present study examines variables related to young offenders and the relationship between these variables and aggressive behaviour in a sample of 82 young people aged from 7 to 21 years who attended the University Clinic of Psychology during the period 2007-2010. The frequency analysis of the results obtained through semi-structured interview shows consistency with previous research in the case of gender of the perpetrator (70.7% of males) and mean age (14.26 for young people, 46.5 for fathers and 44.7 for mothers). The results were partially consistent with respect to the type of behaviour (62.2% of verbal and physical aggression, and 37.8% of verbal aggression). Finally, there was no consistency in relation to the gender of the victims (64.6% was both parents). The statistical tests show statistical significance between the type of the young person’s aggressive behaviour and the frequency of family arguments (U = 479, p = 0.02), the generalization of aggression (chi-2 = 4.04, p = 0.04), the presence of legal problems (chi-2 = 3.93, p = 0.04) and the observation of aggressive models in the father (chi-2 = 5.50, p = 0.01). All of them showed low or moderate intensity (d= 0.53, Φ²= 0.05, Φ²= 0.04 and Φ²= 0.07, respectively).