ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES IN ADOLESCENT DEFENDANTS EVALUATED IN A FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY CLINIC

• NCJ Number: 58926
• Journal: Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (1976) Pages: 251-257
• Author(s): R ROSNER; M WIEDERLIGHT; M B HORNER-ROSNER; R R WIECZOREK
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Pittsburgh
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF 16-, 17-, AND 18-YEAR-OLD ADOLESCENT DEFENDANTS EXAMINED IN THE FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY CLINIC OF NEW YORK IN 1974 ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS WERE ANALYZED BY REVIEWING AND SUMMARIZING THE RECORDS OF 104 OFFENDERS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE DATA TO PSYCHIATRIC AND LEGAL EXPERTS ABOUT THE OFFENDERS AND TO ASSIST FORENSIC PSYCHIATRISTS IN THEIR EVALUATIONS. SPECIFIC VARIABLES, STUDIED WERE AGE, RACE, SEX, PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES, COURT CLASSIFICATION OF THE DEFENDANTS, PRIOR PSYCHIATRIC OR NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS, PREVIOUS ARRESTS, ADDICTIVE HABITS, MEDICATIONS, HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION, PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE, AND FAMILY STRUCTURE. MOST OF THE SUBJECTS HAD PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE. ALCOHOL WAS CONSUMED BY 57.7 PERCENT, DRUGS BY 49.1 PERCENT. THE DATA ALSO INDICATED THAT 39.5 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE WAS KNOWN TO THE PSYCHIATRIC OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT; 29.8 PERCENT HAD PREVIOUS PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION AND THE SAME PERCENTAGE HAD NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS. OVER HALF OF THE DEFENDANTS WERE KNOWN TO POLICE THROUGH PREVIOUS ARRESTS. A FOLLOW-UP STUDY SHOULD BE CONDUCTED, WITH INCREASED INVESTIGATION TIME LENGTH AND A LARGER SAMPLE POPULATION. REFERENCES AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)