NCJ Number
190233
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: S1-S5
Date Published
2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This editorial examined previous research and theoretical studies to offer a broad perspective on delinquency, juvenile offending, and personality disorder and the necessity of being alert to the social context of our definitions of juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
Delinquency and juvenile offending refer to young people involved in anti-social acts. In understanding the underlying factors involved in these anti-social acts, this editorial reviewed previous studies’ results and critiqued their summations. There is a considerable body of work to assist in the understanding of the aetiology of conduct disorder and juvenile offending, the connection between them, and their relationship to later adult personality disorder and criminality. However, the theories vary and there is a gap in the studies of factors, predictors and causes of anti-social behavior. What was seen was a failure to apply the knowledge and expertise attained. Explanations for social personality disorder ranged from familial aggregation, genetic markers, and environment. There is the need to know what protects children who may have genetic predispositions, or suffer adverse environmental circumstances from developing conduct disorder and later anti-social offending behavior. The task is to keep all views--biological, environmental, cognitive, and psychodynamic--illuminated and interconnected.