NCJ Number
56996
Date Published
1979
Length
33 pages
Annotation
EARLY RESULTS OF A LARGE-SCALE FIELD EXPERIMENT INVESTIGATING THE LINK BETWEEN LEARNING DISABILITIES AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE LD/JD (LEARNING DISABILITY/JUVENILE DELIQUENCY) PROJECT IS A COMPLEX LARGE-SCALE FIELD RESEARCH EFFORT INVOLVING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN LD CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURE, STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE OF LD, DEVELOPMENT OF A REMEDIAL PROGRAM FOCUSING ON THE LEARNING-DISABLED DELINQUENT, AND AN EVALUATION OF THAT PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS BEING CONDUCTED IN THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF BALTIMORE, MD., INDIANAPOLIS, IND., AND PHOENIX, ARIZ. ITS GOAL IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT WILL AID DEVELOPING INFORMED POLICY REGARDING LD AND JD PREVENTION. IN 1977, THE STUDY INVOLVED 1,778 JUVENILES. PRELIMINARY RESULTS INDICATE THAT LEARNING-DISABLED ADOLESCENTS ARE PROPORTIONATELY OVERREPRESENTED IN A SAMPLE OF 397 MALE, 12 TO 15 YEARS OLD, ADJUDICATED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WHEN COMPARED TO AN OFFICIALLY NONDELINQUENT SAMPLE OF 984 YOUTHS AGED 12 TO 15. THE PERCENTAGES OF LEARNING-DISABLED YOUTHS IN THESE SAMPLES WERE 32 AND 16, RESPECTIVELY. SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN DEFINING LEARNING DISABILITIES AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE DISCUSSED. AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE 'SCHOOL FAILURE' AND 'SUSCEPTIBILITY, HYPOTHESES CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEARNING DISABILITIES AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS PROPOSED TO ACCOMMODATE THE FINDING THAT LEARNING-DISABLED ADOLESCENTS DO NOT SEEM TO ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF DELINQUENT ACTS FROM THEIR PEERS WITHOUT LEARNING DISABILITIES. TABLES, REFERENCE NOTES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAG)