Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects
Background/Aim: Ensuring that juvenile offenders (JOs) who stop consume cannabis during their detention remain abstinence after their sentence has been served is a fundamental preventive measure. The present study explores whether the variables of the motivational phase of the Health Action Process...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedad Española de Psicología Jurídica y Forense
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://journals.copmadrid.org/ejpalc/art/ejpalc2025a4
|
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832584448100532224 |
|---|---|
| author | Isabel M. Herrera-Sánchez Silvia Medina-Anzano Samuel Rueda-Méndez |
| author_facet | Isabel M. Herrera-Sánchez Silvia Medina-Anzano Samuel Rueda-Méndez |
| author_sort | Isabel M. Herrera-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Aim: Ensuring that juvenile offenders (JOs) who stop consume cannabis during their detention remain abstinence after their sentence has been served is a fundamental preventive measure. The present study explores whether the variables of the motivational phase of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) predicted the intention not to use cannabis after the end of the detention period among JOs. It also analyzes the mediating effect of past behavior and the moderating effect of gender. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 103 JOs in detention centers in southern Spain (mean age =16.33 years, 70.6% male). Results: A multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the joint effect of motivational variables (risk perceptions, positive and negative outcome expectancies, and action self-efficacy) on intention. Except for positive outcome expectancies, all motivational variables were found to mediate the effect of age at onset on intention. Moderation analysis revealed that when risk perceptions and action self-efficacy were high, female JOs expressed a stronger intention not to use cannabis than their male counterparts. Conclusions: The results confirm the effectiveness of the HAPA for predicting the intention not to use cannabis among JOs after the end of their detention period. The present study lays the groundwork for future research, which should broaden the analysis to include the volitional stage of change and JOs serving other sentences involving less supervision and greater opportunities to use. The results presented here will help inform the design of preventive programs, with a gender perspective. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5cad5a2eff4444e7902f1e2c6e0bf6ae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1889-1861 1989-4007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Sociedad Española de Psicología Jurídica y Forense |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context |
| spelling | doaj-art-5cad5a2eff4444e7902f1e2c6e0bf6ae2025-01-27T13:41:03ZengSociedad Española de Psicología Jurídica y ForenseEuropean Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context1889-18611989-40072025-01-01171394710.5093/ejpalc2025a411320559Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating EffectsIsabel M. Herrera-Sánchez0Silvia Medina-Anzano1Samuel Rueda-Méndez2Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, Universidad de Sevilla, SpainUniversidad de Sevilla, Spain, Universidad de Sevilla, SpainUniversidad de Sevilla, Spain, Universidad de Sevilla, SpainBackground/Aim: Ensuring that juvenile offenders (JOs) who stop consume cannabis during their detention remain abstinence after their sentence has been served is a fundamental preventive measure. The present study explores whether the variables of the motivational phase of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) predicted the intention not to use cannabis after the end of the detention period among JOs. It also analyzes the mediating effect of past behavior and the moderating effect of gender. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 103 JOs in detention centers in southern Spain (mean age =16.33 years, 70.6% male). Results: A multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the joint effect of motivational variables (risk perceptions, positive and negative outcome expectancies, and action self-efficacy) on intention. Except for positive outcome expectancies, all motivational variables were found to mediate the effect of age at onset on intention. Moderation analysis revealed that when risk perceptions and action self-efficacy were high, female JOs expressed a stronger intention not to use cannabis than their male counterparts. Conclusions: The results confirm the effectiveness of the HAPA for predicting the intention not to use cannabis among JOs after the end of their detention period. The present study lays the groundwork for future research, which should broaden the analysis to include the volitional stage of change and JOs serving other sentences involving less supervision and greater opportunities to use. The results presented here will help inform the design of preventive programs, with a gender perspective. https://journals.copmadrid.org/ejpalc/art/ejpalc2025a4 risk perceptionsoutcome expectanciesaction self-efficacyuse cannabishealth action process approach (hapa)juvenile offenders |
| spellingShingle | Isabel M. Herrera-Sánchez Silvia Medina-Anzano Samuel Rueda-Méndez Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context risk perceptions outcome expectancies action self-efficacy use cannabis health action process approach (hapa) juvenile offenders |
| title | Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects |
| title_full | Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects |
| title_fullStr | Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects |
| title_short | Motivational Factors and Cannabis Use Intention among Juvenile Offenders: Direct, Mediating, and Moderating Effects |
| title_sort | motivational factors and cannabis use intention among juvenile offenders direct mediating and moderating effects |
| topic | risk perceptions outcome expectancies action self-efficacy use cannabis health action process approach (hapa) juvenile offenders |
| url |
https://journals.copmadrid.org/ejpalc/art/ejpalc2025a4
|
| work_keys_str_mv | AT isabelmherrerasanchez motivationalfactorsandcannabisuseintentionamongjuvenileoffendersdirectmediatingandmoderatingeffects AT silviamedinaanzano motivationalfactorsandcannabisuseintentionamongjuvenileoffendersdirectmediatingandmoderatingeffects AT samuelruedamendez motivationalfactorsandcannabisuseintentionamongjuvenileoffendersdirectmediatingandmoderatingeffects |