Sensation seeking among at-risk adolescents: Findings from the Crossroads study

• In Event: The Intersection between Self-Regulation and Juvenile Justice Involvement

Abstract

For adolescents living in hostile or threatening environments, maintaining a positive outlook about the future may be challenging. Adolescents who are exposed to violence may have more negative views of their futures, thus making them more susceptible to sensation seeking behaviors. Alternatively, exposure to violence could limit one’s perception for success and thus reduce their personal engagement in risky activities. To examine this relationship, data were drawn from Crossroads, an ongoing longitudinal study of 1,216 first-time male juvenile offenders (aged 13-17). Both witnessing others’ victimization (violence witnessed) and being personally victimized by violence (violence experienced) was common among our youth. Analyses revealed that adolescents who witnessed violence reported more sensation seeking whereas those who experienced violence engaged in sensation seeking but only to a certain point, after which additional exposure reduced sensation seeking. This effect was mediated by youths’ perceptions of their future such that adolescents who experienced (but not witnessed) victimization were more likely to hold negative views of their future, thus making them more susceptible to sensation seeking. These findings offer evidence for a life history explanation of sensation seeking and highlight the importance of considering the mode of violence exposure- witnessed or experienced, in understanding sensation seeking.

Authors

• Elizabeth Cauffman, University of California, Irvine

• Sachiko Donley, University of California, Irvine

• Jordan Bechtold, University of California, Irvine

• Laurence Steinberg, Temple University