NCJ Number
61984
Date Published
1979
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY COMPARES THE NEUROPSYCHIATRIC, INTELLECTUAL, AND EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF VIOLENT AND LESS VIOLENT INCARCERATED BOYS AND EXAMINES FACTORS LEADING TO VIOLENCE AND MEANS OF INTERVENTION.
Abstract
MORE VIOLENT CHILDREN ARE LIKELY TO SHOW PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, TO HAVE MAJOR AND MINOR NEUROLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES, AND TO HAVE EXPERIENCED AND WITNESSED EXTREME PHYSICAL ABUSE. THE STUDY ORIGINALLY THAT FOUND THIS WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT CHILDREN REFERRED TO THE JUVENILE COURT CLINIC MAY HAVE SUFFERED FROM HITHERTO UNRECOGNIZED AND UNTREATED PSYCHIATRIC, NEUROLOGICAL, AND EDUCATIONAL DISORDERS WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. STUDY SAMPLES CONSISTED OF 97 BOYS AT A CORRECTIONAL SCHOOL SERVING THE ENTIRE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. THE BOYS WERE RATED FROM 1 (LEAST VIOLENT) TO 4 (MOST VIOLENT). DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION INCLUDED NEUROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL TESTS (INCLUDING WECHSLER, BENDER GESTALT AND RORSCHACH TESTS). OF THE 97 CHILDREN EVALUATED, ONLY 8 WERE CONSIDERED BY ALL RATERS TO BE NONVIOLENT. WHEN RESULTS OF THESE 8 CHILDREN WERE COMPARED WITH VIOLENT SUBJECTS, THE MOST STRIKING DIFFERENCES WERE THE GREATER PROPORTION OF MORE VIOLENT CHILDREN WHO DEMONSTRATED PARANOID SYMPTOMS, HAD HALLUCINATIONS, AND SHOWED NEUROLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES. THE MORE VIOLENT CHILDREN ALSO HAD A HISTORY OF ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF PARENTS, RELATIVES, AND FRIENDS. THESE CHILDREN SEEMED UNABLE TO CURTAIL THEIR VIOLENCE AND HAD VERBAL DIFFICULTIES. BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR LENGTHY DIAGNOSIS AND PROLONGED TREATMENT, VIOLENT JUVENILES ARE LIKELY TO BE DISMISSED AS SOCIOPATHS AND JAILED. HOWEVER, THESE JUVENILES SHOULD RECEIVE ENLIGHTENED PSYCHOLOGICAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND MEDICAL HELP. TABLES SUMMARIZE NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DIFFERENCES. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RFC)