NCJ Number
101218
Date Published
1985
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the influence of biological, psychological, familial, and social factors on juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
Studies of biological factors have found correlations between juvenile antisocial behavior and neurological deficit, hyperactivity, learning disability, and endocrinological disturbance. However, psychological, familial, and social factors also were implicated in such studies. Psychological factors that have been proposed on the basis of clinical and theoretical studies include unresolved grief, symbolic anger at a parent, chronic ego defects, and impulsivity. Epidemiological studies have elucidated the role of a number of familial factors in juvenile delinquency. These include broken homes, parental mental illness, and disorganized family environments. Social factors which appear to play a role include neighborhood quality, school change, attitudes toward crime, and immigration. Among clinical entities, both depression and psychotic symptomatology show an above average incidence among juvenile delinquents. A number of classification systems, based on different theories of delinquency and different methodological approaches, can provide the clinician with a means for assessing and planning treatment for disturbed juvenile offenders. 34 references.