Inhibitory and Emotional Control Deficits as Mediators between Protective Factors and Symptoms of Problem Behaviors in Delinquency

Much research has examined the role of inhibitory and emotional controls in the educational setting with an emphasis on learning and coaching. However, they underestimate the effect and role of inhibitory and emotional controls in delinquent behaviors. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of inhibitory and emotional controls as mediators between protective factors and symptoms of problem behaviors. Respondents of the survey consisted of 404 delinquents convicted of several crimes such as armed robbery, drug trafficking, and drug use, gang fights, rape, homicide, and out of control behaviors. Three psychological instruments; Developmental Assets Questionnaire-Malaysian Version (DAQ-MV), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Self Report (BRIEF-SR) and Achenbach System of Empirical Behavior Assessment- Youth Self-Report (ASEBA-YSR) were used to collect data. The result showed that there was no evidence that planning/decision making influenced rule-breaking behavior independent of its effect on inhibitory and emotional controls (c’ = -.113, p = .062). On the contrary, there was evidence that resistance skill/resilience influenced rule-breaking behavior independently of its effect on inhibitory and emotional controls (c’ = -.204, p = .000). Morality and religiosity also have been found to influence rule-breaking behavior independently of its effect on inhibitory and emotional controls (c’ = -.231, p = .000). The results contributed to an enhancement of early prevention strategy based on executive function, especially in institutions like prison and rehabilitation school