Alcohol consumption, antisocial behavior and impulsivity in Spanish adolescents

Abstract

The relationship between alcohol use and antisocial behaviour in teenagers has been widely reported in previous research. Our main aim was to evaluate this relationship, and also to study how impulsivity influences it. The instruments used were the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), to evaluate alcohol consumption; the Scale of Antisocial and Criminal Behaviour in Teenagers, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, to assess these behaviors in the youth. The sampling method was non probabilistic and intentional, and the sample consisted of 212 teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years (Average=14.1, SD=1.48). The results showed that the variables which better predict anti-social behaviour in teenagers are alcohol consumption and cognitive impulsiveness. On the other hand, it was found that there are significant differences in antisocial behavior according to gender, but not in terms of alcohol consumption. Regarding age level, significant differences were found in alcohol consumption between all age levels, and in antisocial behavior are concentrated between early and medium adolescence, and between early and late adolescence. The possible implications of the link between alcohol consumption and crime by virtue of the results obtained are discussed.

Keywords

• adolescencia, consumo de alcohol, conducta antisocial, impulsividad