Identity Distress, Parental Response, and Problem Behaviors in Juvenile Justice-Involved Boys

Youth involved with the juvenile justice system are not exempt from experiencing identity-related turmoil that is common during adolescence. Parents’ responses may exacerbate or mitigate this turmoil and, in turn, youth problem behaviors. Thus, this study investigated identity distress as a mediator of the relationship between parental response to adolescents’ distress and their problem behaviors among 113 detained males aged 12 to 18 ( Mage = 15.3, SD = 1.44) in Connecticut, USA. Participants completed measures of identity distress, parental response to their developmental distress, and multiple problem behaviors. A latent mediation model indicated that a supportive parental response was directly associated with decreased problem behaviors, whereas an avoidant parental response was indirectly associated with increased problem behaviors through increased identity distress. Developmentally salient identity-related distress of juveniles and the corresponding response of their parents are important to consider in understanding youth externalizing problem behaviors within the juvenile justice system.