Differences in social skills performance between institutionalized juvenile male offenders and a comparable group of boys without offence records

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Abstract
Institutionalized young male offenders (18) and 18 boys without criminal records, comparable in terms of age, academic performance and social background, were videotaped during a 5-min standardized interview with a previously unknown adult. The videotapes were then subjected to a behavioral analysis of 13 responses which had previously been suggested to be important social skill components. The tapes were also shown to 6 independent judges who rated each tape in terms of social skills performance, social anxiety, friendliness and employability. The offender group differed significantly from the non-offender group in terms of the level of eye-contact, head movements, amount spoken, fiddling movements and gross body movements. The offender group was also rated in significantly less favorable terms on the scales of social skills performance, social anxiety and employability. No significant difference was found in terms of friendliness ratings. Correlation analyses between the specific behavioral measures and the subjective rating scales revealed statistically significant associations between 6 of the 13 behavioral measures and 1 or more of the subjective rating scales. This provides some indication of the type of responses important in determining the impression made by adolescent males in an interview situation.

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