INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONALITY STUDY OF JUVENILES WHO ARE PETITIONED FOR WAIVER OF JUVENILE JURISDICTION

• NCJ Number: 54456
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 319-325
• Author(s): K S SOLWAY; J R HAYS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Plenum Publishing Corp
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IN A STUDY COMPARING JUVENILE OFFENDERS WAIVED TO ADULT COURT TO TYPICAL ADOLESCENTS, 41 JUVENILES FROM HARRIS COUNTY, TEX., WERE EVALUATED.

Abstract

THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONALITY PATTERNS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WHO WERE PETITIONED FOR WAIVER OF JUVENILE JURISDICTION. SUBJECTS PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY WERE ADMINISTERED THE WECHSLER ADULT INTELLIGENCE SCALE, THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE INTERPERSONAL CHECKLIST, THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST, AND THE BENDER-GESTALT, RORSCHACH, OR DRAW-A-PERSON TESTS. SOME SUBJECTS RECEIVED CLINICAL INTERVIEWS, AND NOT ALL TESTS WERE USED FOR ALL SUBJECTS. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS WERE OBTAINED WITH THE INFORMED CONSENT OF THE JUVENILES, WHO WERE TOLD THAT THE REPORT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ATTORNEYS INVOLVED, THE JUDGE, AND THE CASEWORKER. NONE OF THE JUVENILES SEEMED RETICENT OR UNCOOPERATIVE. ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT JUVENILES WHO WERE PETITIONED TENDED TO BE OF LOW INTELLIGENCE; THEY WERE CHARACTERIZED AS HAVING DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ACADEMICALLY OR IN SITUATIONS LACKING STRUCTURE. THE DATA INDICATE THAT THESE JUVENILES TENDED TO ACT IMPULSIVELY AND WITHOUT GREAT CONCERN FOR CONVENTIONAL SOCIAL STANDARDS. A MAJOR DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THEIR SELF-PERCEPTION AND THE WAY THEY ARE SEEN BY OTHERS IS THOUGHT TO PRODUCE A CONFUSION AND DISTRUST OF OTHERS. IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TYPICAL ADOLESCENT AND THESE JUVENILES, BUT THE DIFFERENCES RESULT FROM THE PROBLEMS OF THE LATTER GROUP AND IS NOT A QUALITATIVE ONE. WHEN QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE EFFICACY OF REHABILITATION IN THE ADULT OR JUVENILE SYSTEM ARE LEFT ASIDE, THE TYPICAL JUVENILE WHO HAD BEEN PETITIONED IS QUALIFIED IN TERMS OF PSYCHIATRIC CRITERIA TO STAND TRIAL IN EITHER JUVENILE OR ADULT COURT. TABLES, FUGURES, AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)