Minor delinquency and fighting among teenagers in fourteen European countries in 2007

Abstract

The European Schools Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) covered 35 countries in 2007. This study is based on 14 of those collecting data in an optional section on delinquent behaviour. The aim was to study inter-country differences in this. Two variables were derived labelled “minor delinquency” and “fighting”. On average 27% of pupils had scored on one or more minor delinquency items and 30.5% on at least one fighting item, but there were highly significant inter-country differences. At the individual level, these were partly accounted for by substance use, parental monitoring, lack of close relationships and a tendency to be less rule-bound. On the country level, the gross domestic product, position of women, wet versus dry drinking culture, and levels of urbanisation and poverty were relevant. Countries differed significantly in the extent to which girls and boys were similar in delinquent behaviour, with greater similarity in countries with high per capita alcohol consumption, high levels of substance use, high levels of depression and relationship difficulties and a high tendency to believe that life is uncertain. In general, higher levels of delinquent behaviour and greater similarity between boys and girls occurred in the more developed countries.

• Antisocial behaviour
• teenagers
• Europe

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the huge contribution of The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN) in running the ESPAD survey. This article was prepared in collaboration with fourteen researchers who all either took part in the ESPAD Antisocial behaviour group or allowed use of their data samples for further analysis: Armenia, Artak Musheghyan, Bulgaria, Anina Chileva, Croatia, Marina Kuzman, Cyprus Kyriacos Veresies, Faroe Islands, Pal Weihe, Greece, Anna Kokkevi, Ireland, Mark Morgan, Isle of Man, Andreea Steriu, Latvia, Ilze Kozoleva, Romania, Silvia Florescu, Serbia, Spomenka Ciric-Jankovic, Slovak Republic, Alojz Nociar, Slovenia, Eva Stergar, United Kingdom, Martin Plant.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.