LEVEL INTELLIGENCE AND DELINQUENCY (FROM ZAGADNIENIA NIEPRZYSTOSOWANIA SPOLECZNEGO I PRZESTEPCZOSCI W POLSCE, P 409-424, 1978, BY JERZY JASINSKI - SEE NCJ-68628)

• NCJ Number: 68641
• Author(s): Z OSTRIHANSKA
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Country: Poland

Annotation

LOW INTELLIGENCE ALONE IS NOT A CRIME FACTOR, BUT IT CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT, AS WELL AS A SENSE OF ALIENATION, WHICH MAY LEAD TO CRIME, ACCORDING TO STUDIES IN POLAND.

Abstract

STUDIES OF THE INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (I.Q.) OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A BIGGER PERCENTAGE OF THE DULL AND BACKWARD (6 TO 20 PERCENT), AND FEEBLE MINDED (14 TO 53 PERCENT), AMONG DELINQUENTS THAN IN THE NORMAL POPULATION. HOWEVER, THE OFFENDERS SHOWED BETTER RESULTS IN TESTS WITH MORE NONVERBAL ELEMENTS THAN IN THE TESTS WHERE THE VERBAL ELEMENTS DOMINATED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THEIR SOCIAL RATHER THAN GENETIC BACKGROUND. IT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT SCHOOL PROGRAMS, EMPHASIZING THE VERBAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING SHOULD BE REASSESSED FOR USE WITH THIS TYPE OF STUDENT. STUDIES OF ADULT RECIDIVISTS WERE ALSO MADE, AND THEY SHOWED THAT THEY ALSO HAD A RELATIVELY LOW I.Q. (30 TO 46 PERCENT OF THE STUDIED RECIDIVISTS WERE DULL AND BACKWARD, AND FEEBLE MINDED). RECIDIVISTS 26 TO 35 YEARS OLD SHOWED I.Q. LEVELS LOWER THAN YOUNGER ADULT RECIDIVISTS. ONE OF THE REASONS COULD HAVE BEEN ALCOHOLISM, SINCE 53 PERCENT OF THE 26 TO 35-YEAR-OLD GROUP WERE ALCOHOLICS. LOW INTELLIGENCE ALONE WAS NOT FOUND TO BE A CRIME FACTOR. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. -- IN POLISH.