De rol van het zelfbeeld in de relatie tussen alcoholgebruik en delinquent gedrag van Nederlandse adolescenten

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Research has shown that adolescence is a period where adolescents participate in risk behaviours like delinquency. Although this behaviour is transient for many adolescents, it could have serious consequences, like psychological problems, unemployment and substance use. To contribute to mitigating the consequences, it is important to understand the risk and resilience factors surrounding delinquency. Aim: To explore the relationship between alcohol use and delinquent behaviour of Dutch adolescents, and to explore if high or low self-esteem can play a role in this relationship. Method: Data is used from the RADAR study. The ‘Substance Use’ questionnaire was used to investigate the alcohol use. A translated version of the ‘International Self-Report Delinquency Study’ instrument was used to measure the frequency of certain delinquent behaviours. Finally, the translated version of the ‘Self-Concept Clarity Scale’ instrument was used to investigate the self-concept. In this study, regression analyses were performed. Results: Alcohol use explains significant variance in delinquency. On the other hand, self-concept does not explain significant variance in delinquency. Furthermore, no moderating effect was found between alcohol use and self-concept on delinquent behaviour. Conclusion: Alcohol use of adolescents appears to be a risk factor regarding to delinquent behaviour. In contrast, this study shows that a high level of self-concept is not a protective factor and a low level is not a risk factor. Therefore, based on this study, it can be concluded that adolescents’ self-concept does not play a role in the relationship between alcohol use and delinquency.