Abstract
Objectives. The aim of the study was description of the association of the role of incarcerated adolescents categorized according to the combination of active and passive participation in bullying in terms of (a) general tendency towards aggressive behavior operationalized by the BPAQ-SF scale; (b) precursors of preparedness for violent problem solving, estimated by three NIM18 scales using responses from incarcerated adolescents.
Subjects and settings. Responses were obtained from a sample of 191 boys presently confined in five prisons for adolescents, average age 16.85; SD=1.55; range 14-19 years.
The subjects filled the questionnaires individually, anonymously, and after signing informed consent. Results.
Proclivity to rush behavior without considering the consequences, ignoring the established rules, and tendency to socially strongly promote oneself among peers increased the likelihood of active participation in bullying compared to individuals with lower values in these variables. Study limitation.
Sample of adolescents was not representative and self-reporting within forensic populations is especially susceptible to social desirability.