Social information processing and aggravation of infracional conduct in young offenders

• Grant number: 16/08030-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Marina Rezende Bazon
• Grantee: Mariana Guedes de Oliveira Franco
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The delinquency conduct can be developed, so that it is possible identify different patterns of trajectories that refer to a greater or lesser degree of engagement. The most significant infraction engagement refers to the so-called persistent delinquency. Le Blanc proposes that among adolescents with persistent offending trajectory, there is a subgroup whose infraction behavior becomes part of violent offenses directly involving the human person (Major persistent offenders), whereas in another subgroup it is not verified that gravity climbing (Minor persistent offenders). Researches indicate that connection between issues related to the regulation of aggressiveness, due to cognitive schemes in structuring since childhood, and the development of a persistent infractional trajetory, which includes illegal acts considered violent, since adolescence. Currently, one of the theoretical models most widely evoked to study and explain violent behavior in adolescents, regarding to the psychological processes that underlie behavior, specifically the cognitive nature is the Social Information Processing Theory (SIP) as proposed Crick and Dodge. The present study intends to investigate the differences in SIP patterns that may exist between adolescents with major persistent offending trajectory (G1 = 30), minor persistent (G2 = 30) and adolescents without infracional engagement (G3 = 30), checking the possible relationships between SIP and delinquency conduct patterns, focusing specifically on its aggravation. Adolescents who accept participate in the study, whose parents/guardians have consented, will answer a characterization questionnaire, a Structured Interview Delinquency Autorrevelada and questions present in a script structured to measure the SIP patterns, by vignettes presentation describing hypothetical social situations. From the data collected, analyzes will be carried out seeking to identify differences in SIP for each group. (AU)