NCJ Number
80155
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (1981) Pages: 103-113
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the experiences of the Lawrence District Court Clinic (Massachusetts) in dealing with some typical cases of juvenile delinquents and observes a correlation between delinquency and factors related to learning and nonlearning.
Abstract
The discussion is based on clinic activities and interviews with offenders and their families, as well as on school records. Most of the juveniles examined at the clinic had been failures for several years at school and were going through major personal crises. Less than 5 percent had average school records or better. Case histories of several juveniles showed that they were suffering from dyslexia. The causes include subtle brain damage, problems with laterality and dominance, emotional and social deprivation, and poor teaching. The typical offender-patient aged 13 to 15, or even older, had been adversely affected by many if not all of these factors. Another problem is the permissiveness of schools in the United States. A wave of consumerism has modified basic educational practices and curricular content. Vocational education classes and schools are supported as an effective alternative for some youngsters who basically operate more successfully in a 'doing' situation rather than in a purely academic environment. The negative aspects of undue reliance on intelligence quotient tests are realized by many of the juveniles who are categorized early in life as having low intelligence and whose school experiences are always colored by this score. Finally, the article remarks that any treatment or rehabilitation program for younger delinquents must take into account the economic facts of life and whether the young offender is equipped to compete with his contemporaries either in school or later, in the community. No references are given.