Aggressive behavior in Italian Youth Detention Centers: family attachment, parental discipline, and moral disengagement

Our research investigates the influence of family attachment, perceived parental discipline, time spent with parents, and moral disengagement on the aggressive behaviors among 234 justice-involved juveniles from Italian Youth Detention Centers (mean age=18.90; SD= 2.21; age range=14-25; 8.5% females). Participants fulfilled the Socio-demographic Questionnaire, Moral Disengagement Scaleshort version, Attachment Style Questionnaire, and the Aggression Questionnaire. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed the positive association of moral disengagement with aggressive behavior in the first step (R2 =.273; p=.000); with insecure-avoidant attachment in the second step (R2 =.385; p=.000). In the third step the variable of perceived time spent with parents was negatively associated with the aggressive behavior (R2 =.407; p=.005). In the fourth step the variable perceived parental severe discipline style was negatively associated with the aggressive behavior (R2 =.426; p=.008). Results provide some suggestions for future research and directions in preventing criminality among Italian juveniles and in structuring interventions that consider the perception of parental discipline and time spent within the family system.