Objective: the affective-emotive function known as aggressiveness can express itself either in physiological and positive behaviours, essential in the construction of personality (i.e., spirit of enterprise, boldness) or (when excessive or twisted) in pathological behaviours that can damage objects, persons and/or the subject himself. Pathological aggressiveness involving prevarication and destruction is defined as violence and is the basis of many adolescent psychopathological behaviours in which an important role is played by environmental maladaptation.

Method: the aim of this study was to investigate psychopathological aggressive behaviour during adolescence. For this purpose, all adolescents who committed violent crimes in the Marche region during 1990 were investigated with a: a) clinical examination, b) anamnestical questionnaire and c) psycho diagnostic Rosenzweig Frustration Test.

Results: 1. During 1990, 605 juvenile crimes were committed, but only in 104 was an aggressive and/or violent act registered. 2. An evident male prevalence was observed (96/104 cases); in the 8 female cases, more evident behaviour problems (substance abuse, prostitution) and family conflicts were noted. 3. No significant differences were observed between inland and smaller towns (N=46) with respect to coastal and main cities (N=54). Such a fact shows that a more stable and familiar environment does not necessarily have the protective role that it once had. 4. Aggression was carried out (with a prevalent symbolical significance) especially against property (N=54). 5. Among sexual crimes (N=13), only in one case was rape registered. 6. Often juvenile violence was committed by a group of the same age (N=60). 7. With respect to their contemporaries, aggressive adolescents more frequently had primary school difficulties (58%), abandoned school (16.3%) or had family problems (56%). 8. At the Rosenzweig Test, violent adolescents demonstrated higher repressed aggressiveness and greater impulsiveness (p<0.01); they were inclined to minimize or to avoid frustrating situations (denying their aggressiveness) and to display sudden uncontrollable behaviour.

Conclusions: in many cases juvenile violence has an episodic characteristic; furthermore, the low number of well-structured aggressive conduct disorders indicates that rehabilitation intervention may help the subject in seeking a more stable and adaptable identity. For this purpose, the possibility that the juvenile court can suspend judgement and test the adolescent in a project proposed by social services, with input from psychiatric counselling, may be particularly useful.

Bernardo Nardi, Laura Mariani, Flaminia Poletti, Patrizia Giunto: "Adolescent aggressive behaviour: social and psychopathological aspects in juvenile crimes". Paper presented at the First International Congress of Adolescentology, Assisi, Italy, October 22-24 1993.

Key Words: Aggressive behaviour, Juvenile crimes, Violence.

Bernardo Nardi: University Institute of Psychiatry and Adolescentology Centre - Largo Cappelli, 1 - 60121 Ancona - Italy.

Laura Mariani: University Institute of Psychiatry - Largo Cappelli, 1 - 60121 Ancona - Italy.

Flaminia Poletti: University Institute of Psychiatry and Adolescentology Centre - Largo Cappelli, 1 - 60121 Ancona - Italy.

Patrizia Giunto: Juvenile Court Social Services, Ancona, Italy