Development of ASB 1: The development of antisocial behaviour in adolescents and young adults

Figures & data

Table I. SRBS subscales: Sydney vs. Canberra

	Sydney high schools (n = 190)		Canberra high schools^a (n = 103)
SRBS Subscales	M	SD	M	SD
Lie	3.74	0.53	3.29	0.75
Factor 1: Cheat	1.23	0.96	1.00	0.96
Factor 2: Status	1.04	1.30	1.40	1.19
Factor 3: Fight	0.24	0.49	0.14	0.37
Factor 4: Vehicle	0.07	0.32	0.08	0.33
Factor 5: Drugs	0.05	0.21	0.02	0.14
Factor 6: Theft	0.91	1.08	0.47	0.71
Factor 7: Harm	0.47	0.58	0.21	0.45
Factor 8: Driving	0.28	0.65	0.63	0.89
Factor 9: Disturb	1.34	1.52	1.15	1.28
SRBS Total Scale (excludes Lie items)	6.15	5.40	6.19	4.47
Notes. SRBS = Self-Reported Behaviour Scale.
^aMak (1993) community sample.

Table II. AASBS Scale: % endorsed and factor loadings on 32 items (N = 420)^a

	% Ever participated in behaviour
	Adolescent sample			Young adult sample
	Girls (n = 85)	Boys (n = 148)	Total (n = 233)	Female	Male	Total	Factor
Item				(n = 115)	(n = 78)	(n = 193)	loading
Factor 1 (.81) 16 items
Damage public property	42.2	21.0	28.8	25.2	24.7	25.0	0.625
Damage school property	26.5	40.6	35.4	25.2	39.0	30.7	0.540
Vandalised personal property	16.9	23.8	21.3	11.3	41.6	23.4	0.496
Shoplifted	33.7	28.0	30.1	38.3	44.2	40.6	0.476
Purposely hurt/beat up	30.1	46.9	40.7	13.0	49.4	27.6	0.470
Cheated dispensing machine	28.9	66.4	52.6	15.7	44.2	27.1	0.459
Stole bicycle or parts	1.2	4.9	3.5	–	5.2	2.1	0.449
Stole >$10	22.9	22.4	22.6	19.1	22.1	20.3	0.444
Threat to get money	3.6	9.1	7.1	2.6	13.0	6.8	0.433
Vandalised public property	9.6	21.7	17.3	7.0	36.4	18.8	0.415
Made prank call	39.8	32.2	35.0	33.0	23.4	29.2	0.413
Stole <$10	37.3	35.0	35.8	37.4	36.4	37.0	0.411
Group fist fight	15.7	20.3	18.6	1.7	39.0	16.7	0.403
^bSold/bought stolen property	12.0	21.0	17.7	11.3	27.3	17.7	0.369
^bBashed for no reason	2.4	7.7	5.8	–	5.2	2.1	0.352
^bTake purse/wallet	7.2	7.0	7.1	2.6	6.5	4.2	0.303
Factor 2 (.74) eight items
Used marijuana	4.8	8.4	7.1	48.7	51.9	50.0	−0.690
Drive while intoxicated	1.2	1.4	1.3	18.3	31.2	23.4	−0.596
Vehicle racing	1.2	1.4	1.3	8.7	41.6	21.9	−0.585
Drive without licence	12.0	19.6	16.8	32.2	57.1	42.2	−0.517
Drink/^bDrunk in public^c	16.5	21.9	19.9	24.3	39.0	30.2	−0.510
Take vehicle	4.8	3.5	4.0	9.6	16.9	12.5	−0.466
Drive unregistered car	3.6	0.7	1.8	7.8	16.9	11.5	−0.416
Used LSD (acid)	1.2	0.7	0.7	7.0	9.1	7.8	−0.401
Factor 3 (.64) four items
Stole parts car/motorcycle	1.2	4.2	3.1	0.9	2.6	1.6	−0.699
^dGrown/sold drugs	–	0.7	0.4	5.2	13	8.3	−0.526
Abused barbiturates	4.7	2.1	3.0	4.3	3.9	4.2	−0.485
Break and enter	–	4.9	3.1	3.5	10.4	6.3	−0.431
Did not load on any factor
Damage by fire	3.6	2.8	3.1	–	3.9	1.6	0.237
Weapon in fight	3.6	4.2	4.0	1.7	6.5	3.6	0.276
^bIntentionally hurt animal	2.4	16.1	11.1	2.6	15.6	7.8	0.247
Forced sexual contact	1.2	1.4	1.3	1.7	1.3	1.6	0.120
Notes. AASBS = Adolescent Antisocial Behaviour Scale.
^aCronbach's alpha = .84, 28 included items.
^bAdditional items for current study.
^cAdolescents asked if ever drank in public; young adults asked if ever attended school or work drunk or high.
^dCarroll et al. (1996).

Table III. No. current and total (cumulative) ASB and age of first participation vs. severity factor (N = 426)

	No. current behaviours participated in				No. total (cumulative) behaviours participated in				Age of first participation (years)
Factor	N	Max	M	SD	N	Max	M	SD	N	M	SD
F1	298	11	1.86	2.312	208	16	3.03	2.571	334	12.7	2.425
F2	316	5	0.79	1.101	175	19	6.45	3.823	173	16.7	3.420
F3	240	3	0.08	0.332	35	23	12.20	4.651	35	14.1	3.161
Total	345	16	2.39	2.775	534	23	4.11	4.344	352	13.3	2.578
Note. ASB = antisocial behaviour.

Figure 1. (a) Frequency of participation in antisocial behaviour (ASB) severity factors (F) vs. age for entire sample (N = 426). (b) Frequency of participation in Factor 1 ASB vs. age and severity of participation for entire sample (N = 426)

Figure 2. No. antisocial behaviour (ASB) acts participated in vs. severity factor for entire sample (N = 426)

Figure 3. Mean no. different types of antisocial behaviour (ASB) participation (in past 12 months) vs. current age and gender of participants (female, n = 144; male, n = 200)

Figure 4. (a) Mean percentage of young adult participants (male, n = 67; female, n = 79) vs. age of peak antisocial behaviour (ASB) participation. (b) Typical progression of peak ASB participation vs. age and type of ASB participation for young adult participants (male, n = 67; female, n = 79)

Figure 5. First and last age of antisocial behaviour (ASB) participation for (a) young adult male subjects (N = 74) and (b) young adult female subjects (N = 98)

Figure 6. No. years of antisocial behaviour (ASB) participation vs. type of ASB participation for young adult male and female subjects combined (N = 155)