Youth Vulnerability and Maladjustment: An Examination of Its Effects

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable stage, when both the adoption of prosocial behaviors and the risk of antisocial behaviors are intensified. In this context, youth violence—manifested in aggression towards authority figures, peers, or even oneself—can be understood as an internal struggle to assert power or resist domination. The increase in emerging forms of violence, such as bullying, dating violence, or child-to-parent violence, requires reviewing and updating current theoretical frameworks and prevention policies.

Maladjusted youth often reflect a fragmented, hostile, and anxious identity, in contrast to those who manage to build a coexistence based on empathy, respect, and social sensitivity. In this scenario, human relationships tend to become power struggles, where the submission of the other validates aggression as a form of interaction. This dynamic can normalize violence and deteriorate social coexistence.

Therefore, it is essential to analyze how these behaviors are socially reinforced and to promote alternative responses. Our objective is to help young people to recognize other ways of relating to others, to be aware of the harm they can cause, and to commit themselves to healthier and more prosocial models of coexistence.

The types of articles accepted in this Special Issue include the following:

1. Research articles, such as (a) empirical studies (quantitative or qualitative), (b) theoretical articles, or (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, or (d) current debates on youth violence.
3. Replication of articles with the emasculation of results and registered reports. This Special Issue aims to support the replicability movement in behavioral sciences with a transparent system to improve research methods.

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

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• Family conflict
• Child-to-parent violence
• Dating violence
• Bullying/school violence
• Adverse childhood experiences
• Psychometric studies