Youth Vulnerability and Maladjustment: A Look at Its Effects

Dear Colleagues,

Human relationships, in their essence, are often marked by power dynamics: sometimes we try to impose ourselves, other times we give in to domination. From this perspective, we may be able to better understand certain forms of violence perpetrated by children, harassment, aggression towards the other gender or even towards themselves—as a reflection of an internal struggle to affirm, resist, and resist (Hamby, 2017). Currently, childhood (before the age of 18) is still considered one of the developmental stages with the greatest vulnerability to experience adverse experiences, while at the same time being key to the increase in prosocial behaviors.

An increase is not only observed in behavioral and mood disorders or attachment disorder, but also in adverse early experiences such as complex trauma, neglect or family violence. An increase is not only observed in behavioral and mood disorders or attachment disorder, but also in adverse early experiences such as complex trauma, neglect or family violence.

In this sense, including the early detection of adverse experiences that motivate the perpetration of violent behavior towards authority figures (as in the case of child-to-parent violence), peers or minors, or as occurs in dating relationships, cases of bullying or school violence, become key aspects for developing future early detection protocols and clinical prevention and intervention programs.

In addition, the proposal of prevention and intervention models requires revising the current framework of analysis, as well as drawing on rigorous evidence on the underlying constructs that interact in these emerging forms of violent behavior perpetrated by children; they require revising the current framework of analysis. To this end, it is essential to contextualize the validity of existing studies and their applicability to evaluate and improve policies for the prevention and clinical intervention of youth violence, considering the experience accumulated so far.

On this basis, the question is: can we expect a consolidation of new clinical and social approaches to the origin of adverse early experiences and patterns of child violent behavior? Our objective is to delve into how adverse experiences and clinical aspects interact in children, when violence becomes a reality that breaks with prosocial coexistence and clinical and social well-being. Today, this violence is associated with the figure of a disorganized, fragmented, hostile, anxious child; the social misfit, in contrast to one who relies on values such as empathy, respect, sincerity, social sensitivity or courage.

In this scenario, cordiality, in many cases, has been displaced by aggressiveness. We must not lose sight of the fact that there are always two protagonists: the aggressor and the victim.

Our task, in this context, is to analyze how violent behaviors that promote different responses are clinically and socially reinforced; on the one hand, those that are oriented towards a more competent, prosocial and clinically normative coexistence, and on the other hand, those that are oriented towards a more competent, prosocial and clinically normative coexistence; and on the other hand, those associated with situations of non-prosociality and clinical affectations.

Types of articles:

1. Research articles, such as (a) empirical studies (quantitative or qualitative), (b) theoretical articles, and (c) applied methodology articles;
2. Review articles that include (a) meta-analyses, (b) systematic reviews or narrative reviews, (c) critiques or reflections that deepen new theoretical frameworks, and (d) current debates on youth violence;
3. Replication of articles with emasculation of results and registered reports. This study aims to support replicability movement in behavioral sciences with a transparent system to improve the research method.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Díaz
Dr. Luis Burgos-Benavides
Guest Editors

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• family conflict
• child-to-parent violence
• dating violence
• bullying/school violence
• adverse childhood experiences
• psychometric studies