Identifying Violent-Toward-Staff Juvenile Delinquents via the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory and Neuropsychological Measures

• NCJ Number: 187385
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 32 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 2000 Pages: 147-165
• Author(s): Alan D. Caggiano Psy.D
• Editor(s): Nathaniel J. Pallone Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This two-part study was conducted to investigate personality and neuropsychological characteristics of violent-toward-staff (VTS) and non-VTS juvenile offenders.

Abstract

Participants in the first part of the study included 68 male adjudicated juvenile offenders between 13 and 19 years of age. The 160-question Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) was employed to obtain data from these participants. Participants in the second part of the study included 4 VTS and 16 non-VTS juvenile offenders who also participated in the first part of the study. The WISC-III Mazes test, Trails, A, B, and ABC, and a subset of the Luria sensorimotor tests were employed to obtain data from these participants. In the first part of the study, discriminant analysis based on the three MACI scales measuring traits similar to psychopathic personality traits correctly categorized all 68 juvenile offenders in the VTS or non-VTS classifications. Further, discriminant analysis based on the six most salient MACI scales correctly categorized all 68 juvenile offenders in the correct VTS or non-VTS classifications. In addition, discriminant analysis based on the 10 most salient MACI questions correctly categorized all VTS juvenile offenders. In the second part of the study, VTS juvenile offenders completed Trail B slower than non-VTS juvenile offenders. VTS juvenile offender scores did not differ from non-VTS juvenile offender scores on Trails A and ABC, and Mazes. Discriminant analysis of Trails A, B, and ABC, and WISC-III Mazes failed to categorized juvenile offenders at a significant level. Suggestions for additional research are offered that focus on the use of juvenile offenders from multiple areas and the cross-validation of physiological research with personality research. Supplemental information on study procedures is appended. 19 references, 2 notes, 2 tables, and 2 figures