Anti-social behavior in adolescentes and Young adults: Prevalence in the Basque Country and differences as a function of socio-demographic variables

Abstract

The goals of this study were to analyze the prevalence of antisocial behavior and to explore differences as a func­tion of socio-demographic variables (gender, age, socio-economic level, parents' educational level). The sample comprised 3,026 participants from the Basque country, aged 12 to 18 years Using a descriptive and comparative design, two instruments to assess antisocial behavior (self-report and parent assessment) were administered. The results showed that 16.6 % of the sample had a high level of antisocial behavior (percentile 85-99), 10 % had a high-risk profile (percentile 85-94), and 6.6 % pre­sented an antisocial profile (percentile 95-99). Sex dif­ferences varied depending on the informant. In the self-assessment, females reported significantly less antisocial behavior, but the effect size was small. In the parents' as­sessment, no sex differences were found. Therefore, the differences between males and females tend to be very small. Regarding age, a significant increase of antisocial behavior between 12 and 18 years was confirmed, both in self-reports and in parents' evaluation. Moreover, the sex differences increased significantly with age, with the largest increases observed in males aged 16-18 years. There were no differences in antisocial behavior as a function of the parents' educational level, but the differ­ences as a function of socio-economic level were contra­dictory. The discussion revolves around the importance of prevention and intervention in antisocial behavior from childhood.