Personality Characteristics as Risk Indications of Alcohol Use and Violent Behavior in Male and Female Adolescents

The present study focused on personality characteristics in adolescent boys (n = 414) and girls (n = 552) in 8th grade with self-reported violent behavior and risky alcohol use. Adolescents with indications of violent behavior and/or risky alcohol use, compared to others, were generally more impulsive, had a stronger need for change and action, were less adjusted and socially conforming, as well as more aggressive. The findings pointed toward a clustering of problem behaviors. Furthermore, adolescents with a combination of violent behavior and alcohol use had more pronounced personality scores than subjects who reported only one of these behaviors. The main finding was that among girls these behaviors appeared to be associated with more deviant levels of the personality characteristics in focus.