제주도지역 보호관찰청소년의 가족건강성, 학교적응성, 자아탄력성과 정서행동문제 간의 관계 분석

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore ways of effectively improving the externalized and internalized maladaptive behaviours of adolescents on probation by focusing on their personal strengths and temperament. This study seeks to find ways of promoting subjective well-being and improving the maladaptive behaviours of adolescents on probation. To this end, personal strengths intervention is used based on the standpoint of striving for a positive emotional behaviour state. Moreover, this study examined the relationships between externalized and internalized maladaptive behaviours of adolescents on probation and analysed the correlations among family strength, school adaptation, ego resilience, and the adolescents’ emotional/behavioural problems. The influence of family strength and school adaptation, with ego resilience as a mediator, on emotional/behavioural problems was investigated to reveal indirect/direct effects and structural causality among emotional/ behavioural problems. Based on the objectives and necessity of this study as mentioned above, the following research questions were established. First, how severe are the emotional/behavioural problems of adolescents on probation? Second, what are the clinical classifications for these emotional/ behavioural problems? Third, are there differences among family strength, school adaptation, and ego resilience according to these clinical classifications? Finally, how do family strength and school adaptation, influence emotional/ behaviour problems in adolescents on probation, using ego resilience as a mediator? The survey data were collected using a questionnaire survey administered to adolescents reporting to Jeju city’s only probation office. Approximately 360 out of 700 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years old, who were under the supervision and monitoring of the Jeju probation office, were surveyed. A total of 346 questionnaires were returned out of the 360 that were distributed, and 39 of these were excluded on the basis of being partially or insincerely answered. A total of 307 questionnaires was used for the final analysis. The collected data were analysed with SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 using differential calculus. The study results are as follows. First, how severe are the emotional/behavioural problems of adolescents on probation? As for externalized behavioural problems, violation of probation requirements had the highest degree of severity, and externalized problems showed higher degree of severity compared to internalized behavioural problems. Adolescents with externalizing problems can be described as having a strong desire for recognition, and this suggests that externalized behavioural problems are related to the aggressive behavioural problems of adolescents on probation that occur because of attachment issues with their family members. In terms of the severity of emotional/behavioural problems in adolescents on probation, the total of all the behavioural problems showed a high degree of severity, and the externalized problems showed an even higher degree of severity than the total behaviour problems. As for the sub-factor, probation violation showed the highest degree of severity in terms of problems. Internalized problems showed lower degrees of severity compared to the externalized problems and anxiety/depression, shrinkage/depression as sub-factors of internalized problems showed lower degrees. In sum, depression appeared to have little influence on the total problematic behaviours and externalized problems such as violation of probation and cognitive distortions are the highest causative of emotional/ behavioural problems in adolescents on probation whereas cognitive problems, aggressive behaviours, and social immaturity have an effect on the total problematic behaviours. Second, what are the clinical classifications for these emotional /behavioural problems? In this study, the externalized behaviour of probation violation showed a very strong correlation. The study results showed internalized problems are influenced by cognitive distortions such as self-degradation, social immaturity, anxiety, depression and externalized problems are influenced by violation, and aggression. Third, are there differences among family strength, school adaptation, and ego resilience according to these clinical classifications? An F-test was performed with the K-YSR scale to examine the extent to which family strength, school adaptation, and the ego resilience of adolescents on probation influence the clinical types of emotional/ behavioural problems. Also pearson’s product moment correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between the measurement variables—family strength, school adaptation, and emotional/behavioural problems. Recent studies have recognized that family strength is an important factor in adolescents on probation. Studies had shown that physical health is significantly correlated with psychological well-being. Family strength had significant relationships with anxiety/depression in previous studies, and the results of the present study are consistent with this finding. The path coefficient results, which represent causality between the factors of emotional/behavioural problems, showed that family strength has both direct and indirect effects. In regards to the school adaptation differences of adolescents on probation, according to emotional/behavioural problem clinical type, adolescents on probation have a very difficult time adapting to school due to uncontrollable anger, aggressiveness, and various internalized problems that make them feel nervous, intimidated, and distracted. School maladjustment begins in childhood and, when it gains prominence, it takes a significant amount of time and effort to change the behaviour. Therefore, further studies are needed in order to investigate possible ways of resolving the maladaptation by focusing on personal vulnerability rather than an individual’s positive aspects. There were significant differences of ego resilience both in externalization and in internalization, showing a negative correlation in reference to emotional/behavioural problems in ego resilience differences according to clinical categories for adolescents. Externalization appeared to be more frequent than internalization. Subtypes of emotional/behavioural problems are all inherent in adolescents; however, knowing which kind of problem is more prominent is crucial. If externalized problems are more prominent, violence will be more prominent, and if internalized problems are more prominent, related psychiatric problems will arise. This study shows that emotional/behavioural problems have direct negative effects on ego resilience. Emotional/behavioural problems display significant differences depending on their relationships with ego resilience. Finally, how do family strength and school adaptation, influence emotional/ behaviour problems in adolescents on probation, using ego resilience as a mediator? A validation examination was performed in order to assess the emotional/behavioural model’s goodness of fit, and a test was performed on the measurement model to examine whether it successfully measures latent variable of measurement factors. The estimates of structural paths were calculated from the study model of emotional/behavioural problems, and the measurement model path coefficient was also calculated in order to test the statistical feasibility of the latent factors of the emotional/ behavioural problems study model and the relationships of the correlation coefficients between latent factors. To speculate concerning the contributing factors that affect emotional/behavioural problems, the effects of path coefficients on emotional/behavioural problems, family strength, school adaptation, and the ego resilience measurement model were analysed, and the mediating effects of ego resilience were investigated to see if they had significance in terms of family strength, school adaptation, or emotional/behavioural problems. The study results are certainly informative. Among family strength, school adaptation, and ego resilience according to internalized problem clinical types, family strength had the most significant differences, whereas ego resilience had the least significant differences. Similarly, family strength showed the most significant differences and school adaptation, showed the least among the externalized problem clinical types of family strength, school adaptation, and ego resilience. As for emotional/behavioural problems, family strength, school adaptation, and ego resilience were shown to be clinical issues. Such results suggest that family-related factors have the strongest influence on juvenile delinquents, causing them to be placed on probation and fall into clinical emotional/behavioural problems. Accordingly, ego resilience showed a significant mediating effect on the paths of emotional/behavioural problems, family strength, and ego resilience. However, in terms of emotional/behavioural problems, neither paths of school adaptation, nor ego resilience showed any significant mediating effects. In conclusion, this study showed that family strength, as the most significant influence on adolescents on probation, has negative correlations with their emotional/behavioural problems. This implies that an unhealthy family environment leads adolescents to grow up under great stress. Thus, family strength served as the main factor that leads to these adolescents being socially stigmatized. The estimates of structural paths indicate that a healthy family has a positive influence on ego resilience. However, in this study family interactions appeared to cause emotional problems, thus showing negative correlations with ego resilience. Ego resilience has to do with individuals’ person characteristics; thus, if one’s relationship with their family is unhealthy, anger and impulsivity will arise. In this case, potential ego resilience may be less significant. Additionally, ego resilience plays a mediating role in the paths of family strength, ego resilience, and emotional/behavioural problems, but the mediating role of ego resilience was not significant for the paths of school adaptation, ego resilience, or emotional/behavioural problems. This suggests that the presence of healthy family relationships, loving parents, and caring will increase ego resilience and have positive influences on emotional/behavioural problems.

Key words: Adolescents on probation, Family strengths, School Adaptation, Analysis on the relationship between emotional/behavioural problems, Estimates of a study’s structural equation model, verifying the suitability of the emotional/behavioural problems measurement mode