Socio-emotional competencies and antisocial behavior in adolescent-girls exposed to adverse experiences: comparative analysis between Chile and Brazil

Abstract

Among the several issues affecting Latin America, violence is one of the most important, because it constitutes a serious obstacle to full human and social development. The social group most vulnerable to violence in Latin America is young people from the lower classes. They figure as victims and as perpetrators of violence in an increasing number of situations. This reality has been addressed in the academic-scientific context and has raised concerns public opinion, supporting some public policies for young people. These actions are, however, general and do not clearly include a gender perspective. It is known that girls are especially vulnerable to violence, because elements of age and socioeconomic level joint those related to the gender perspective. In this context, the participation rates of adolescent girls in offenses and violence have increased significantly, more rapidly than those of adolescent boys. These adolescents almost always have a history of significant submission to violence, as victims, in the family and/or in the community context. Its development, as well as its specific psychosocial needs and difficulties, are not, however, well known, since most of the investments made in this area, so far, have focused on the male sex, promoting generic psychosocial prevention and intervention programs and services. This fact expands the so-called "gender gap" and, consequently, the disparities in this area that mark Latin America. The intention, with this study, is to contribute to the knowledge about specificities of psychosocial development of adolescent girls living in communities with indicators of greater social vulnerability. The objective will be to investigate their social behaviors (pro and antisocial) according to the levels of exposure to adverse experiences (violence) and the protective resources available to them (regarding resilience), considering the possible mediation of the processes operated by socioemotional competences (specifically empathy and self-control). The methodological approach of this cross-cultural research, carried out concurrently in Brazil/state of São Paulo and in Chile/Araucania and Los Rios, will be quantitative. The samples, from side to side, will be around 1200 adolescents (600 of each gender), composed by convenience. Young people will be recruited in schools, in the grades that correspond to the age range between 14 and 18 years, that is, the second phase of adolescence, because in this phase social behaviors become more intentional, showing themselves clearly associated with the developing social identity. To achieve the objectives, the data in the two countries will be compared, to verify the pairing of the samples and, later, statistical treatment will be proceeded. Descriptive, exploratory, and then correlational, clustering, and inferential analyzes (logistic regressions) must be carried out. It is noteworthy that the most robust way of studying psychological processes, such as those targeted in this research, is through cross-cultural studies, as these allow us to understand what is proper to human development (constants) and what is due to environmental influences (variations). The teams involved in the study belong to institutions that already have a signed collaboration protocol - FFCLRP / USP and the Faculty of Psychology at UFRO. In addition, they have extensive experience in the area and can even be considered references in the theme of youth violence/juvenile delinquency in their sociocultural realities. The intended collaboration will provide the conditions for both groups to move towards gender issues, in line with the guidelines proposed in Agenda 2030, by the United Nations, and to consolidate their relationship and, also, the internationalization of their work Units. (AU)