Supervisors info:
Ιωάννα Γιαννοπούλου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπουσα
Αθανάσιος Δουζένης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ρωσσέτος Γουρνέλλης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: current socio-cognitive theories of aggression argue that there is a significant relationship between dysfunctional cognitive functions, emotional states, and self-management and aggressive behavior.
Aim of the study: to investigate the relationship between Early Maladaptive Schemas, mentalization, emotional regulation, and aggression in young people with offending behavior. The aim of the study is to compare differences in the above variables between young adult offenders and the control sample.
Method: a sample of 60 young males participated in the current research, aged from 18 to 24 years old (mean = 20.88, mean = 1.77), 30 of which were from the Special Youth Detention Facility in Avlona (E.K.K.N.A.) and the remaining 30 from private education sector in Attica and the North Aegean. The following self-completed questionnaires were used: The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; ERQ; Gross & John, 2004), The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire; RFQ; Questionnaire; Buss & Perry, 1992) and the Schema Questionnaire (The Young Schema Questionnaire – Short Form, Version 3; YSQ-S3; Young, & Brown, 2003).
Results: the Mann-Whitney test showed higher levels of physical aggression (p <0.00025), verbal aggression (p <0.00025) and hostility (p = 0.0025) in the clinical sample compared to the control sample. Similarly, the clinical sample found increased levels of cognitive reappraisal (p = 0.013) and expressive supression (p <0.00025) and decreased levels of reflective function (p = 0.003) compared with the control sample. Also, statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding the Early Maladaptive Schemas, with the clinical sample presenting greater levels in the majority of Early Maladaptive Schemas than the control sample. Finally, physical aggression (B = 0.27, SE = 0.85, df = 1, p = 0.002), anger (B = -0.34, SE = 0.12, df = 1, p = 0.006 ), verbal aggression (B = 0.44, SE = 0.20, df = 1, p = 0.031), hostility (B = 0.19, SE = 0.09, df = 1, p = 0.049) and expressive suppression (B = 0.24, SE = 0.08, df = 1, p = 0.002) were found to significantly influence the offending behavior of young men.
Conclusion: the present study is the first to examine the associations between aggression, emotional regulation, mentalization, and Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Greek population, thereby contributing to the research of youth aggression. It also broadens research into emotional regulation and offending behavior, highlighting: (a) a significant association between aggression and expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal, (b) higher levels of emotional regulation in offenders, and (c) expressive suppression as a predictor of aggressive behavior. Concerning the relationship between mentalization and aggressive behavior, it is an effect relationship that has not been sufficiently researched internationally and not at all in Greece. The present study showed that the dysfunctional reflective process is significantly correlated with aggressive behavior. Future studies could focus on examining mediators between aggression and mentalization.
Keywords:
Aggression, Early Maladaptive Schemas, Emotion Regulation, Mentalization, Young adult offenders