NCJ Number
169855
Date Published
1996
Length
152 pages
Annotation
This book instructs individuals working within the juvenile justice system about the usefulness and limitations of psychological assessments in the processing of youthful offenders.
Abstract
The first chapter provides an overview of the major models of juvenile justice and the various theoretical positions regarding the causes of youth crime. Chapter 2 then discusses the decisionmaking process in juvenile justice systems. The discussion includes an outline of the major types of forensic decisions and the various categories of judgments underlying them. The third chapter discusses the role of psychological assessments in juvenile justice systems and includes a review of the various potential strengths and weaknesses of using psychological assessments in forensic decisionmaking, as well as a discussion of the bases for evaluating psychological measures. The next four chapters review various types of psychological assessment tools appropriate for the juvenile justice system: aptitude and achievement tests; measures of personality, behavior, and attitudes; measures of environmental factors; and diagnostic and classification systems. Each chapter contains a general discussion of the various types of measures and their relevance to decisions made about youth within judicial systems. Examples of the various types of measures are provided. 262 references, author and subject indexes, and addresses of major test publishers