NCJ Number
90399
Date Published
1981
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Although research has provided evidence to document a relation between parental psychopathology and female delinquency, the dimensions of that relationship are unclear. Adjudicated delinquent females (N=48) completed a general social history interview and three psychological instruments.
Abstract
Probation records were used to analyze subjects' delinquent offense patterns and to obtain data on parents (history of drug/alcohol abuse, adult criminal record, treatment for psychiatric disorders). Results revealed four personality patterns among the girls: borderline, antisocial, neurotic, and socialized delinquents. Subjects with antisocial personalities were significantly more likely to have fathers with a record of psychiatric treatment than girls in the other three groups; they were also more likely to have fathers who were alcoholics and substance abusers than girls with neurotic or borderline personalities. No index of maternal psychopathology was found to be significantly related to female delinquent personality patterns. All three measures of paternal psychopathology were significantly related to higher total delinquency scores in subjects. Only one measure of maternal psychopathology, a record of psychiatric treatment, was positively associated with an earlier age at first offense in girls, but not to any other index of offense. The results suggest that children reared by psychologically disturbed parents are 'at risk' for the development of a wide range of behavior disorders. (Author/NRB) (Resources in Education (ERIC) abstract)