Early Identification of Delinquent-Prone Children: An Overview (From Prevention of Delinquent Behavior, P 140-158, 1987, John D Burchard and Sara N Burchard, eds. -- See NCJ-112840)

• NCJ Number: 112846
• Author(s): C F Jesness
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After reviewing various studies pertaining to the early identification of delinquency-prone children, this paper draws general conclusions on the validity and usefulness of the early identification of children at high risk for delinquency.

Abstract

The research examined focuses on antisocial behavior and later delinquency, early school behavior and delinquency, child abuse and delinquency, why some high-risk children subsequently engage in delinquency and others do not, and predicting career offenders from self-reported data. The critique of the studies considers methodological problems, the nature of serious and chronic delinquency, individual differences among delinquents, and labeling theory and the problem of false positives. Overall, the review concludes that although delinquency predictions are not perfect, they are sufficiently accurate to be taken seriously and used in practice. Efforts should be made to improve the accuracy of delinquency predictions, but such predictions can only produce despair unless effective treatment and intervention strategies are developed and applied for the identified children. 22 references.