Aggressive and Delinquent Behavior Among Youth: An Empirical Study in Poland
VIOLENCE AND GENDER
Authors: Jurczyk, Marcin; Lalak, Danuta
Abstract
This article aimed to measure the level of aggressive and delinquent behavior, identify the most common delinquent behaviors, and examine the associations of aggressive and delinquent behavior. This research involved two groups of adolescents: youth offenders from correctional facilities for minors constituting the research group (52 girls and 81 boys) and high school students constituting the control group (66 girls and 67 boys). In total, 266 people were assessed. The respondents' age at the time of the research was in the range of 16-18 years (Mage = 17.22). The research was quantitative. Three diagnostic tools were used to examine the variables: a poll questionnaire developed for the purpose of this research, Self-Report Delinquency and Drug Use Measures, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire Scale. The gathered and analyzed data provided grounds to assume that the study groups indeed differ from each other in terms of frequency of illegal and antisocial behaviors and forms of presented aggressiveness. The findings also showed significant associations between delinquent behavior levels with aggressiveness in both researched groups of adolescents. Based on the analysis of the stepwise regression approach, it was established that the factor strongly anticipating illegal and antisocial behaviors among adolescents from Correctional Facilities for Minors and High Schools is aggressiveness demonstrated in the form of physical aggression.
When Pundits Weigh In: Do Expert and Partisan Critiques in News Reports Shape Ordinary Individuals' Interpretations of Polls?
MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY
Authors: Kuru, Ozan; Pasek, Josh; Traugott, Michael W.
Abstract
Journalists rely on polls as they cover public opinion. In order to provide perspectives within the news stories, journalists frequently quote pundits - expert and partisan - who evaluate the methodological quality and implications of the numbers. While partisan pundits might attack unfavorable polls as biased and even fake, experts typically provide rational assessments of methodological quality; news readers may also encounter critiques of the reliability of polls in general in op-eds. How do Americans evaluate polls when they come accompanied with such commentaries? Building on evidence that individuals perceive polls in biased ways, this study examines whether and how individuals react to pundit commentary and whether such commentary can increase or decrease partisan bias in evaluations. In a nationally representative survey experiment fielded during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we exposed 2,078 individuals to news stories about polls that included various expert or partisan comments. Although commentaries shifted perceptions of the polls, they did little to mitigate or amplify news readers' biases. We conclude that poll commentary is not an effective tool for mitigating bias. Implications for public perceptions, corrective attempts against biased processing of statistical information in news reports, and journalistic coverage at large are discussed.