Adolescents and Destructive Themes in Rock Music: A Follow-Up

Abstract

We report findings of a follow-up on rock music preferences and of views of themes advocating homicide, suicide, and satanic practices (HSSR). A total of 120 adolescent offenders (ages 13–18 years), in two youth detention centers, were administered a questionnaire of Likert-type, categorical, and open-ended questions. Ninety-one students were fans of rock music. Of those, approximately 54 percent were HSSR fans. HSSR fans were more likely to be white and school dropouts, to spend more time listening to music, to think it is harmless for young children to listen to HSSR music, and to assume that HSSR lyrics do not lead to destructive acts. Contrary to previous findings, gender and parents' marital status did not predict whether a juvenile offender was an HSSR fan: both males and females, from intact and broken homes, were fans. Findings suggest a strong relationship between a preference for rock music with destructive themes and antisocial or destructive behavior.

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