NCJ Number
43535
Journal
Child Psychiatry and Human Development Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 141-146
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
ASSOCIATIONS AMONG DELINQUENCY, ADULT CRIMINALITY, AND ADULT PSYCHIATRIC STATUS ARE EXPLORED IN AN ANALYSIS OF PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT DATA AND JUVENILE AND ADULT COURT RECORDS.
Abstract
THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 255 MALES WITH RECORDS OF OFFENSES AT A LOCAL JUVENILE COURT DURING A SINGLE YEAR 25 YEARS PRIOR TO THE STUDY. IT WAS DETERMINED WHETHER EACH SUBJECT HAD RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT AS AN ADULT IN ONE OF TWO MAJOR STATE FACILITIES IN THE NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, AREA AND WHETHER EACH SUBJECT HAD A RECORD OF OFFENSES IN THE CENTRAL STATE POLICE FILES. OF THE 255 FORMER DELINQUENTS, 6 PERCENT WERE LATER KNOWN TO BOTH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEMS, 6 PERCENT TO THE PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEM ONLY, 28 PERCENT TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ONLY, AND 60 PERCENT TO NEITHER. DELINQUENTS WITH LATER PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES WERE TWICE AS LIKELY AS THOSE WITHOUT PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES TO HAVE ADULT CRIMINAL RECORDS. SUBJECTS WITH ADULT PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY YOUNGER AT THE TIME OF THEIR FIRST JUVENILE OFFENSE AND HAD COMMITTED MORE JUVENILE OFFENSES THAN SUBJECTS WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).