Sex differences in the solitary and assaultive fantasies of delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents. 1996

R Silver

Self-images expressed in response to the Draw-A-Story task were examined for differences in gender, age, and delinquency. Subjects included 64 adolescents in detention in California and 74 normal controls attending schools in Ohio, New York, and Florida; 82 were males (53 delinquents, 29 controls); 56 were females (11 delinquents, 45 controls). Their ages ranged between 13 and 17. The first analysis evaluated whether gender or delinquency was related to self-image scores. No significant differences were found. The second analysis evaluated whether the proportions of drawings about solitary subjects or assaultive relationships differed depending on gender or delinquency. Significant gender differences were found in both solitary and assaultive content. The findings of assaultive content were reversed for solitary content. For assaultive content, the differences in proportion between male and female control subjects reached significance. The difference between male and female delinquents did not reach significance. Control males differed significantly from control females, but delinquent males did not differ significantly from delinquent females. Solitary content also distinguished between delinquent and control groups, as well as gender. The gender difference was large in the control group but small in the delinquent group. Delinquent female drawings were more like the male drawings of both groups. Thus greater gender differences were found among normal adolescents than among delinquent adolescents. Implications of the findings for access to fantasies and to screen for emotional needs are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007398 Interpersonal Relations The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons. Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D007604 Juvenile Delinquency The antisocial acts of children or persons under age which are illegal or lawfully interpreted as constituting delinquency. Delinquency, Juvenile
D008297 Male Males
D005201 Fantasy An imagined sequence of events or mental images, e.g., daydreams. Day Dreams,Daydreams,Day Dream,Daydream,Dream, Day,Dreams, Day,Fantasies
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D012649 Self Concept Persons' view of themselves. Self Esteem,Self Perception,Self Confidence,Self-Perception,Concept, Self,Confidence, Self,Esteem, Self,Perception, Self,Perceptions, Self,Self Esteems,Self Perceptions,Self-Perceptions
D012737 Sex Factors Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances. Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor

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