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Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to identify risk factors for somatization in female adolescent offenders by examining the relationship between clinical symptoms, quality of relationships, family functioning and somatization. Relational theory was used as the theoretical framework. The study sample included 120 Georgia female adolescent offenders ages 12-17. Multiple regression analyses revealed that anxiety, depression, social stress and family functioning variables were significant predictors for somatization in female adolescent offenders. Discriminative analyses indicated that a group of somatizing female adolescent offenders differed significantly from a group of nonsomatizing female adolescent offenders on measures of clinical symptomology and adaptive functioning. This study will add to research in the area of somatic complaints in female adolescents and indicate treatment issues for female adolescent offenders.