Competencias socioemocionales, toma de decisiones y conducta antisocial-delictiva en adolescentes: Un estudio transcultural

Socioemotional competencies and decision-making are topics of interest to prevent and intervene in adolescent antisocial and criminal behaviors. Greater socioemotional competence has been related to greater mental health, subjective well-being, prosocial behavior, and social adjustment. Decision-making is related to positive and negative risk behaviors, personal and social performance, and goal attainment. Evidence suggests that adolescent offenders perform less well on socio-emotional competencies and decision-making than their normative peers. The main objective of this study was to develop social-emotional competencies and decision-making skills in adolescents with antisocial and criminal behaviors. This is a comparative and exploratory cross-cultural psychological study with Spanish and Colombian adolescents aged 14 to 19 years (n=1468, M=15.95, SD=1.23, 37.7% girls) and quasi-experimental, which evaluated the benefits of a program of socioemotional competencies and decision making, with pre-and post-intervention measurements in which Colombian adolescents participated (n= 230, M=16.15, SD=1.21, 31.7% girls). Adolescents were evaluated in socioemotional competencies, decision-making styles, and antisocial and criminal behavior. In addition, other variables of interest (empathy, prosocial behavior, cognitive distortions, and emotional symptoms) were measured. The results indicated that, compared to normative adolescents, offending adolescents show lower socioemotional competence, empathy, and prosocial behavior; also higher delinquent versatility and cognitive distortion. Comparative analyses indicate that differences between adolescent boys and girls in antisocial behavior are less wide than those observed in delinquent behavior. Offending and non-offending girls showed greater socioemotional competence, empathy, and prosocial behavior than their male peers. On the other hand, boys showed greater self-serving cognitive distortion and more delinquent behavior. In addition, there are cultural realities that affect the severity and frequency of adolescent antisocial and delinquent behaviors. It was observed that self-serving cognitive distortions were related to greater antisocial and delinquent behavior and lower socioemotional competence, empathy, and prosocial behavior. Socioemotional competencies and emotional intelligence were positively related to empathy, prosocial behavior, and rational decision-making; they were also negatively related to maladaptive decision-making styles and self-serving cognitive distortions. It was established that emotional intelligence and empathy predict decision-making patterns in adolescent offenders and non-offenders. It was observed that when there is greater perspective-taking and emotional repair, decision-making is more rational and adaptive. This study also established that adolescent offenders could benefit from interventions in socio-emotional competencies and decision making; specifically, adolescents who participated in the intervention program showed better performance in self-reported emotional intelligence and decision-making styles and reported positive effects in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. In conclusion, socio-emotional competencies and decision-making may benefit adolescent offenders and non-offenders. However, the interventions that most help offenders should be defined, and longitudinal evaluations should be conducted to identify the impact on antisocial trajectories and desistance processes.