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One of the factors that increase the likelihood of adolescents starting to exhibit and consolidate anti-social behavior is drug use, with a consistent pattern of consumption of different substance found in young offenders (Aebi, Bessler & Steinhausen, 2021). A cognitive-behavioral group treatment program inspired by the positive psychology approach was developed and applied to drug use in minors deprived of liberty (experimental group); the results were compared to those of a group of adolescents with the same type of drug use in the same center (active control group) at two points in time: during and after incarceration. The fall in the rate of problems associated with drug use after incarceration in the experimental group was statistically significant compared to the control group, and the effect size of the experimental condition was large (ῆ2 = 0.55), much higher than the control group (ῆ2 = 0.16). The treatment program has proven to be an effective tool for reducing problems associated with drug use and is especially effective in reducing alcohol and cannabis consumption.

This paper proposes and analyzes the psychometric properties of the PREVI-A scale ( Predicción del Riesgo y Valoración de la Intervención en la ARRMI --Risk Prediction and Intervention Assessment in the ARRMI). It describes the process of item development, the factorial structure of the scale, reliability, evidence of validity and diagnostic performance with regard to recidivism risk in juvenile offenders. The sample was made up of 212 juvenile offenders held at detention centers run by the Madrid Agency for Reeducation and Reintegration of Juvenile Offenders, a regional government body. Statistical analyses were used to corroborate the theoretical factorial structure of the PREVI-A, which consists of six risk/protection dimensions (64 items) based on the Risk-Needs-Responsivity Model, and to obtain empirical support for the reliability and validity of PREVI-A as a tool to assess the risk of recidivism by juvenile offenders in Spain., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Graña Gómez, Ronzón-Tirado, Andreu Rodríguez and de la Peña Fernández.)

Background: The NAQ (Negative Acts Questionnaire) has been widely used in more than 40 countries to measure the mobbing phenomenon. This research aims to present a psychometric study based on the Spanish version of the NAQ-R carried out by González-Trijueque and Graña (2013). As opposed to the original scale, this sample contains 23 items and a three-dimension model (personal bullying, work-related bullying, and physically intimidating forms of bullying)., Methods: We used a heterogeneous occupational sample of 2,538 Spanish employees to analyze internal consistency and concurrent validity. In addition, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was carried out based on the GLS (generalized least squares) method., Results: Results showed high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) and high correlations containing clinical symptoms, burn-out indicators, and coping resources. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis developed upon the heterogeneous occupational sample validates the three-dimension structure in the Spanish version of the NAQ-R aimed to measure harassment behaviors at the workplace., Conclusion: The NAQ-R reaffirms its validity and reliability as a measure for mobbing-related behaviors. Hence, the scale may become a useful tool in research and forensic practice., (Copyright © 2020 Dujo López, González Trijueque, Graña Gómez and Andreu Rodríguez.)

Background: The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) is widely used to assess intimate partner violence (IPV). Given the limitations preventing the collection of dyadic data, it is necessary to examine the relationship between the offender's own self-reporting and the facts established in trial proceedings. This study assesses the relationship between aggression data self-reported by participants via CTS-2 and the data contained in convictions for partner abuse., Method: Two groups of men convicted of abuse against their female intimate partners or ex-partners (1,998 imprisoned offenders and 804 court-referred offenders), and 590 men from the community (general population) participated. The relationship was analyzed between the scores for self-reported CTS-2 items and violent behaviors described by proven facts. An ANCOVA with post-hoc comparisons (Bonferroni) was performed to assess the differences in CTS-2 scores between the three groups., Results: In the two groups of convicted participants, a significant relationship was found between CTS-2 items and the proven facts. Meanwhile, significant differences were found between the three groups in three CTS-2 subscales., Conclusions: The CTS-2 self-reported perpetrated aggression data provided by the convicted participants are related to the factual basis for convictions, and such data are therefore usable in forensic and psychological intervention contexts.

Background: Agreement about acts of aggression in couples on the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2) was evaluated., Method: We conducted a quota sampling method to recruit a community sample of 590 heterosexual adult couples from the Region of Madrid (Spain)., Results: Prevalence rates based on the maximum dyadic report identified more aggressive behaviors than did individual reports of perpetration and victimization in men and women. Partner agreement about physical and psychological aggression was significant and moderate. However, partners agreed that Negotiation of Conflicts and Positive Behaviors assessed with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale were higher than the behaviors of the Physical Assault Scale., Conclusions: Correction factors are provided to estimate the prevalence of aggressive behavior and injuries when we only had individual reports of aggression. Partner agreement reveals the existence of variables at the individual level that significantly influence the assessment of aggression in the couple.

The present study analyzes reciprocal psychological aggression assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale-Revised (CTS-2) in a sample of 590 adult couples from the Region of Madrid. Psychological aggression is the most frequent form of partner aggression. Results showed high percentages of psychological aggression perpetrated and suffered in men and women and showed significant statistical differences in severe psychological aggression in the case of women. Partner agreement about acts of psychological aggression was significant, albeit at moderate levels. Generalized Hierarchical Linear Models with the HLM-6.0 program were proposed to examine reciprocal psychological aggression. The models confirmed the pattern of reciprocal psychological aggression and also that couples are more aggressive when they are younger. Duration of cohabitation was not a predictor of reciprocal psychological partner aggression., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the alcohol and illicit substance consumption characteristics in a sample of 572 batterers in treatment by court order. The results indicate that the prevalence of alcohol consumption in the past year was 89.3%, whereas within illicit substances, the prevalences were higher for cannabis (27.8%), followed by cocaine 20.3%). In order to analyze the possible effect of consumption on levels of perpetration and victimization of partner-aggression, the sample was divided into 4 groups: nonconsumers (16.3%), alcohol consumers (58.6%), illicit drug consumers (3.5%), and consumers of alcohol and illicit drugs (21.7%), finding that the groups of nonconsumers and alcohol consumers presented the lowest level of perpetration of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression and of victimization of psychological and physical aggression, whereas the group of consumers of alcohol and illicit drugs presented the highest levels. The results reveal the need to assess substance consumption when designing intervention protocols with batterers.

Background: The Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) is a self-report instrument designed to predict recidivism among adult criminal offenders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of this self-report in a Spanish sample of offenders., Method: The questionnaire was administered to 276 offenders recruited from various prisons in Madrid (Spain)., Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the underlying structure of SAQ was best explained by a one-factor solution. SAQ total scores exhibited high levels of internal consistency (.92). Correlations of the instrument with violence risk measures were statistically significant and had a moderate magnitude, indicating a reasonable degree of concurrent validity., Conclusions: After examination of its psychometric properties, it was concluded that the SAQ total score is a reliable and valid measure to estimate violence risk in Spanish offenders.

Background: The goal of the present study is to analyze the prevalence of bidirectional psychological and physical aggression in intimate partner relationships using the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2), and to determine the influence of the variables age and relationship duration., Method: The participants were 3,578 heterosexual couples from the Region of Madrid., Results: Bidirectional aggression was the most frequent pattern in the dyadic types of aggression examined; we analyzed the prevalences of mutual psychological (46%) and physical aggression (4%), reciprocal psychological (41%) and physical aggression (3%), and bidirectional psychological (80%) and physical aggression (25%). The variables age and relationship duration were significant predictors of bidirectional physical and psychological aggression. Younger couples and couples with less than a one-year relationship duration assaulted each other the most., Conclusions: These data provide an objective view of bidirectional aggression in Spanish community samples and serve as a reference point for prevention and intervention programs and forensic reports.

Background: This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)., Method: A sample of 1,180 participants, 590 adult heterosexual couples, from the Community of Madrid was examined via confirmatory factor analysis., Results: The results indicate that the factor structure of this scale fits the hierarchical factor model proposed by the test authors. The internal consistency, estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient was satisfactory for the total scale (alpha = .80) and ranged from .13 to .88 for the subscales. Convergent validity was adequate in comparison to the Negotiation subscale (emotional and cognitive) from the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). No significant differences were observed between genders. Finally, concordance or agreement between partners was high. The lowest agreement was found for the Affectional Expression subscale., Conclusions: After examining the psychometric properties, the DAS was found to be a reliable and valid measurement of the sampled community of couples.

The goal of this study was to determine the evolution of variables such as quality of life, craving, or psychological adjustment during treatment in a sample of 65 patients with alcohol-dependence disorder, 56.3% of whom also presented a personality disorder (PD). Five measurements were taken over the course of the treatment, at 3-month intervals. The analysis of tendencies of the variables craving, quality of life, and psychological adjustment assessed at the five assessment points revealed that the cognitive-behavioral treatment influences each one of these variables differently: a quadratic and cubic relation was identified for craving, whereas for quality of life there were linear, quadratic and cubic relationships in its diverse scales depending on the time point in question, and for psychological adjustment there were linear and quadratic relationships. At the end of treatment, the patients assessed presented significantly higher levels of quality of life than at the beginning, but the results showed that, although the patients with PD had better perceived quality of life at three months, it was lower over the entire course of the treatment compared to patients without PD. It was also found that quality of life and craving at the start of the treatment predicted alcohol use during the first three months. The implications of these results are discussed with a view to psychological intervention with alcohol-dependent patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine the self-perceived quality of life of abstinent patients with alcohol dependence disorder during the first month of treatment, and how the presence of personality disorders, psychological adjustment, and the level of craving affect this perception. For this purpose, a sample was used comprising 65 participants with mean age of 43.26 years, of whom 70.8% were male and 29.2% female, with a mean duration of addiction to alcohol consumption of 11.83 years. The results show that quality of life is not related to the duration of abstinence or the course of the addiction. Moreover, the patients who present a personality disorder perceive poorer quality of life in areas such as health status, mood, and social relations. Self-perception of quality of life is affected by psychological adjustment and beliefs about craving. These data should be taken into account when considering quality of life as a measurement of the effectiveness of a treatment for drug addicts with personality disorders.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the prevalence of mobbing in the workplace, as well as the main associated characteristics, in a multi-occupational sample of 2861 workers from diverse work sectors. For this purpose, a specific mobbing instrument, the "Negative Acts Questionnaire--Revised" (NAQ-R) and a questionnaire elaborated ad hoc about sociodemographic and work aspects considered of interest in this study were employed. The results of this study provide psychometric support for the use of the Spanish version of the NAQ-R as a reliable and valid instrument to assess diverse levels of workplace bullying. The results of the study indicate that 14% of the participants had suffered mobbing behaviors during the past six months. Likewise, the mobbing characteristics found were, in general, similar to those found in diverse studies, both at national and international levels.

The purpose of this study is to analyze to efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment program, in individual and group format, for people with alcohol problems, and to determine the role of some personality variables in the process of therapeutic recovery. The sample was made up of 80 patients diagnosed as alcoholics, 83.8% of whom were men (n=67) and 16.3% were women (n=13). Mean age was 42.73 years, with a standard deviation of 9.63 years. Basically, we found a high incidence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and consumption patterns that change as a function of the presence or absence of personality disorders. We also observed that the results varied in relation to physiological variables and environmental situations associated with the presence of craving responses. Treatment of such patients with dual pathology demands greater effort from the therapist to promote treatment adherence, an aspect crucial to completion of treatment programs and to achieve therapeutic success. Cognitive-behavioral intervention for relapse prevention was observed to produce satisfactory results in patients with personality disorders. Neither consumption patterns nor personality disorders predict the type of treatment termination.

The modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (M-CTS), originally created by Straus in 1979, is one of the most extensively used instruments to detect violent verbal and physical behaviours in youths' and adolescents' dating relations. The aim of the present work was to analyze the psychometric properties of the instrument and to validate its adequacy in the Spanish population. The sample was made up of 5,355 Spanish youths from the Community of Madrid, ages between 16 and 26 years. By means of confirmatory factor analysis, four factors that were consistent with the theory and with previous research were identified: arguments, psychological/verbal aggression, slight physical aggression, and severe physical aggression. It is concluded that the scale assesses the presence of various types of aggression in youths' and adolescents' dating relationships with sufficient psychometric guarantees.

The presence of violent behaviors of a psychological and physical nature in dating relations was analyzed in a sample of Spanish university students between 18 and 27 years of age. The results indicate a high prevalence of both kinds of aggression in interpersonal relationships, revealing important typology differences between the sexes. Violent psychological behaviors (characterized by the presence of verbal aggression and coercive and jealous behaviors) and physical aggression were significantly higher in women, though the consequences of physical aggression were worse for the women's health. The implications of the results and their possible relation with more severe violent acts in more stable, emotional relationships are discussed.

This study examines the possibility of replicating and generalizing a multidimensional typology of drug-addicts by means of the evaluation of 320 participants who were receiving outpatient treatment for their problem of addiction. A two-stage cluster analysis was performed, revealing the existence of two typologies of consumers, called type A and Type B. The participants classified as Type B showed various indicators of chronicity (higher mean age, higher unemployment rate), more severity of their problem of drug consumption and of medical aspects, employment support, legal, family/social and psychiatric problems in comparison with Type A. Participants from the latter group reported active employment as their main source of income and they had consumed drugs for fewer years. However, they presented more severity associated with alcohol consumption. In view of these data, Type A is called functional drug-addict and Type B chronic drug-addict. Once the groups of drug-addicts were delimited, a more specific characterization was made, taking seven problem areas into account: medical, employment support, alcohol, drugs, legal, family/social, and psychiatric areas. As a general conclusion, more psychosocial severity was observed in Type B as compared with Type A. Lastly, the implications and usefulness of grouping drug-addicts into typologies is discussed.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence and differential weight of some specific psychological variables on adolescent antisocial behavior. A sample of 1,851 adolescents (49.92 % men and 50.08 % women) from the Autonomous Community of Madrid was assessed. Several stepwise regression analyses were conducted, considering three different age groups (14-15, 16 and 17-18 years), with the criterion variables and the results showed that the main psychological risk factors associated with antisocial behavior were variables linked to sensation seeking construct (impulsiveness, disinhibition, excitement seeking, etc.), while the protective factors identified were variables such as empathy and religious practices. The age groups were considered, keeping a design of optimum prevention programs with psychological character in mind.