PTSD symptomatology and future orientation: Implications for predicting adolescent delinquency/aggression

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between trauma symptoms, future orientation, and delinquency/aggression in adolescents to better inform the design of prevention and intervention programs that seek to ameliorate the effects of trauma on adolescents and reduce high-risk behaviors. Two hundred and eleven ethnically diverse adolescents between the ages of 11--18 from schools in the Northern California Bay Area voluntarily participated in this investigation.;As predicted, bivariate analyses showed significant negative correlations between trauma symptoms (current and expected) and future orientation. As well, health values, a protective factor, was significantly positively correlated with future orientation. Surprisingly, depression symptoms, but not trauma symptoms, significantly accounted for variance in future orientation. In accordance with predictions, trauma symptoms were significantly positively correlated with delinquent/aggressive behavior. Also, future orientation was significantly negatively correlated with delinquent aggressive behavior. In turn, as predicted, future orientation accounted for a significant amount of the variance in delinquency/aggression. Finally, current trauma symptoms and the interaction of expected trauma symptoms and future orientation were found to be significant factors in predicting delinquent/aggressive behavior.;Future orientation as a moderator, beyond a single criterion for diagnosing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), appears to play a significant role as a protective factor. Thus, assisting adolescents who report trauma symptoms develop positive future orientation is supported empirically in this study as a beneficial area upon which to focus in delinquency/aggression prevention programs. More research in this area, especially longitudinal, is necessary to further the empirical foundation upon which prevention and intervention programs are built.;Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, it was expected that links would be found between adolescents' current and expected trauma symptoms (controlling for depression symptoms), future orientation, and participation in delinquent/aggressive behaviors. Second, trauma symptoms and future orientation were expected to vary as a function of demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity). Third, future orientation was expected to influence (moderate/mediate) the relationship between reported trauma symptoms and participation in delinquent/aggressive behaviors.