History of violence and other stressful life events in youth offenders

Abstract

According to Law 5/2000, which regulates the criminal responsibility of minors, minor offenders are those who commit crimes or offenses established in the Penal Code or special criminal laws between 14 and 18 years. Those with judicial measures of internment present the most complex and disadvantaged situation. It has been evidenced the association between the experience of stressful life events in childhood and adolescence and a subsequent emotional and/or behavioral maladjustment, therefore, this study aims to know the stressful life events of a sample of youth offenders institutionalized in a minors center. For this purpose, the reports of 72 young people (79.2% men) were analyzed. The juvenile offenders presented a vital trajectory characterized by the experience of numerous stressful non-normative vital events typified as serious or very serious in the family, social, school, psychological and criminal domain. The findings are discussed in terms of prevention and treatment planning for antisocial and delinquent behavior in juvenile offenders.