Comparison of the Structure of Adolescent Problem Behavior in the United States and Australia

Some extant theory and empirical research suggests that youth problem behaviors, such as substance abuse and delinquency, reflect a single underlying dimension of behavior, whereas others suggest there are several different dimensions. Few studies have examined potential international differences in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Crime and delinquency 2007-04, Vol.53 (2), p.303-321
Main Authors: Hemphill, Sheryl A., Herrenkohl, Todd I., LaFazia, Andrea N., McMorris, Barbara J., Toumbourou, John W., Arthur, Michael W., Catalano, Richard F., Hawkins, J. David, Bond, Lyndal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Australia
Behavior Problems
Behaviourism
Comparative Analysis
Criminology
Cross Cultural Studies
Cross-national analysis
Cultural Differences
Delinquency
Drug Abuse
Drug use
Elementary School Students
Evaluation Methods
Factor Analysis
Foreign Countries
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile offenders
Maine
Measures (Individuals)
Offenders
Oregon
Public Policy
Secondary School Students
Social indicators
Structural Equation Models
Student Surveys
Substance Abuse
U.S.A
United States of America
Youth Problems
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Summary:Some extant theory and empirical research suggests that youth problem behaviors, such as substance abuse and delinquency, reflect a single underlying dimension of behavior, whereas others suggest there are several different dimensions. Few studies have examined potential international differences in the structure of problem behavior, where cultural and policy differences may create more variation in behavior and different structures. This study explored the structure of problem behavior in two representative samples of youth (ages 12-17) from Maine and Oregon in the United States (N = 33,066) and Victoria, Australia (N = 8,500). The authors examined the degree to which data from the two countries produce similar model structures using indicators of problem behavior. Results show that the data are best represented by two factors, substance use and delinquency, and there appear to be more similarities than differences in the models across countries. Implications for understanding problem behavior across cultural and developmental groups and practical and policy implications are discussed.
ISSN:0011-1287
1552-387X
DOI:10.1177/0011128705284682