Main and Interactive Effects of Delinquency and Sex on Parenting Styles, Attachment Styles and Personality Trait in Adolescents of Mashhad City

This research was conducted to examine the effect of delinquency and sex on parenting styles, attachment styles and personality traits of adolescents. In a causal-comparative study 64 delinquent adolescences from correction and reform facility in Mashhad (32 boys and 32 girls) were selected by available sampling and 64 normal adolescences (32 boys and 32 girls) by two-stage cluster sampling. Each responded to questionnaires of Baumrind Parenting, Attachment Collins and Read (RAAS) and short form of the NEO Personality Inventory(NEO-FFI). Data analysed by using results a multivariate analysis of covariance after adjusting for differences in age and years of education showed that normal adolescents were more perceived authoritative parenting style. Sex effect was not significant, but interaction of group×sex, delinquent boys had higher scores on authoritarian style. Also normal adolescences had more secure attachment compared with the delinquent adolescences and in terms of sex, the boys more than girls, were seen with ambivalent attachment. Again in the group×sex interaction, boys without delinquency showed more scores in secure attachment. In the Big Five Factors Personality with the exception of neuroticism, delinquent adolescences relative to normal adolescences obtained lower scores in extraversion, openness, agreeableness and Conscientiousness factors. In this case, the effect of sex was not significant, but the interaction of group×sex, boys with delinquency showed higher scores in neuroticism.