Abstract

This study was performed to compare among three adolescent groups(i.e., delinquent group, risk group and normal group) in their attachment type and perceived parenting behaviors. The delinquent group consisted of fifty incarcerated juvenile delinquents, and the risk group consisted of fifty students selected from high school students who belong to the upper fifteen percent of externalizing problem subscale in K-YSR, and the normal group consisted of fifty students who were also randomly selected from high school students without problematic behaviors. The age in all three groups ranged from 15 to 19 years. The questionnaire was composed of Demographic questions, Korean-Youth Self Report-CBCL, Self-Report Attachment Style and Parenting behavior Inventory, and they were administrated in groups at juvenile reformatory and high schools. In attachment types of each group, while the types in the delinquent group were distributed preoccupied type, dismissing type, secure type and fearful type in order, the types in the normal and risk group were distributed secure type, preoccupied type, dismissing type and fearful type in order. The comparison of perceived parenting behaviors showed that both of the delinquent and risk group recognized parents' affection and reasoning less than the normal group. This study explored adolescent attachment type and perceived parenting behaviors which have much relation with juvenile delinquency, and in particular it suggested that preventive intervention in individual and familial dimension was necessary for risk group to prevent from being delinquent group.