NCJ Number
57011
Journal
INTERNATIONAL PSYCHIATRY CLINICS Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1968) Pages: 76-90
Date Published
1968
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER REPORTS ON THE TREATMENT OF MALE ADOLESCENTS FOR BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS AND ARGUES THAT THERE IS NO QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATIENTS OF LOWER AND HIGHER INTELLIGENCE.
Abstract
DISCUSSION OF THE LACK OF CORRELATION BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND DELINQUENCY IS BASED ON CASE STUDIES OF PATIENTS AT THE UNIT FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH BEHAVIOR DISORDERS AT HARPERBURY HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND. LOW INTELLIGENCE IS ONLY ONE, AND NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT, FACTOR WHICH DETERMINES DELINQUENCY. ALTHOUGH LOW INTELLIGENCE MODIFIES THE PATIENT'S ATTITUDES REGARDING HIS ACTIONS, DELINQUENCY IS DETERMINED MORE BY PERSONALITY STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT THAN BY INTELLECT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CERTAIN SEXUAL OFFENSES, LOW INTELLIGENCE IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH DELINQUENCY. ALTHOUGH THE TYPES OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY THE PATIENTS ARE DISCUSSED, THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FACTORS WHICH MAY CAUSE CRIMINALITY IS EMPHASIZED, AND NO LINK IS FOUND BETWEEN SPECIFIC CRIMES AND INTELLECTUAL ABILITY. THE MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS, HOWEVER, DID MANIFEST AN INABILITY TO FORM MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN THOSE OF THE SAME AGE GROUP. ETIOLOGICAL FACTORS ARE DIFFICULT TO ISOLATE, BUT CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO GENETIC FACTORS, ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM ABNORMALITIES, ORGANIC INJURY, AND FAMILY ENVIRONMENT. ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR IN CAUSING DEVIANCE IS THE EXPOSURE TO DELINQUENT SUBCULTURES. REFERENCES AND A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION CONCERNING THIS PAPER ARE INCLUDED. (TWK)