The relation between anger and antisocial beliefs in young offenders

The tendency for youth to report antisocial beliefs has been identified as a major risk factor in delinquency. Advances in emotion research suggest the importance of examining the emotional concomitants of cognitive appraisals such as antisocial beliefs. The present study examined the relation between anger and antisocial beliefs in a sample of young offenders and investigated whether scores on either variable differentiated aggressive from non-aggressive offenders. Twenty-two aggressive and 20 nonaggressive young offenders were compared on two questionnaires measuring anger and antisocial beliefs, respectively. The findings revealed a significant correlation between the two measures. In addition, it was found that the aggressive offenders, compared to their non-aggressive counterparts, scored significantly higher on anger and antisocial beliefs. These findings extended previous research on the characteristics that differentiate aggressive and non-aggressive offenders. Results also support the rationale for incorporating both cognitive and affective components in intervention programs designed for aggressive young offenders.