Personality Correlates of Disciplinary Infractions in a Military-Style Residential Program for Adolescents

ABSTRACT

This study examines personality correlates of disciplinary infractions in a sample of adolescents in a military-style residential program, an understudied but at-risk sample. Ninety-nine boys (M_age = 16.9 years) self-reported traits associated with externalizing psychopathology and problem behaviors. Additionally, each participant’s disciplinary record was obtained from the program. Disciplinary infractions were classified into five categories: physical aggression, verbal aggression toward peers, conflicts with staff, disruptive behavior, and rule-breaking. Principal component analysis indicated four distinct elements that underlie results on the self-report measures: (1) aggressive tendencies, (2) impulsivity and instability, (3) sensation seeking, and (4) narcissism. Subsequent regression analyses revealed differential associations between these components and counts of infractions across categories. These findings can inform research on the personality-based correlates of institutional misconduct, and they may also help staff in residential settings better manage or prevent some of the disciplinary problems they experience.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescence
• externalizing
• institutional misconduct
• personality
• assessment

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the facility at which data collection took place, the participants who volunteered to contribute to this research, and Bailee Brewer, Barbara Gipson, Colin Guzak, Amber Slaughter, and Latisha Swygert for assistance with data collection and file review.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.