PSYCHOLOGICAL WORLD OF THE JUVENILE DELINQUENT

• NCJ Number: 58551
• Author(s): D OFFER; R C MAROHN; E OSTROV
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 335 pages
• Grant Number(s): A-70-15; 824
• Sponsoring Agency: Illinois Law Enforcement Cmssn (see Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority)
• Corporate Author: Basic Books
• Sale Source: Basic Books
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE METHODS, FINDINGS, AND TREATMENT IMPLICATIONS OF A LONG-TERM, INDEPTH STUDY OF 55 JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ADMITTED TO THE ILLINOIS STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE FROM 1969 THROUGH 1974 ARE REPORTED.

Abstract

THE STUDY USED A COMBINATION OF CLINICAL OBSERVATION AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE METHODS TO IDENTIFY PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES IMPORTANT IN ELUCIDATING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE STUDY SUBJECTS INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES, RACES, AND SEXES. THE STUDY REPORT INCLUDES DETAILED DISCUSSION OF SUCH DIMENSIONS AS IMPULSIVITY, COGNITION, FAMILY COMMUNICATION, SELF-IMAGE, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, AND VALUE SYSTEMS. FOUR PSYCHODYNAMIC TYPES OF DELINQUENTS ARE CLASSIFIED: (1) IMPULSIVE (PRONE TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, APPEARS HIGHLY DISTURBED AND SOCIALLY INSENSITIVE, HAS SOME AWARENESS OF A NEED FOR HELP, ENGAGES IN DELINQUENT ACTS OUT OF A PROPENSITY FOR ACTION AND IMMEDIATE DISCHARGE OF EMOTIONS); (2) NARCISSISTIC (SEES SELF AS WELL ADJUSTED AND NOT DELINQUENT, SEEN BY OTHERS AS CUNNING AND MANIPULATIVE, ONLY PRETENDS TO PARTICIPATE IN THERAPY, THROUGH DELINQUENCY USES OTHERS TO SATISFY NEEDS); (3) EMPTY-BORDERLINE (PASSIVE, EMOTIONALLY DEPLETED, NOT WELL LIKED, PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE, ENGAGES IN DELINQUENCY TO AVOID PSYCHOTIC DISINTEGRATION AND TO RELIEVE INTERNAL DESOLATION); AND (4) DEPRESSED-BORDERLINE (SHOWS INITIATIVE IN SCHOOL, WELL LIKED, STRONGLY INTERNALIZED VALUE SYSTEM, USES DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR TO RELIEVE CONSIDERABLE FEELINGS OF GUILT AND DEPRESSION). CASE STUDIES ILLUSTRATE THE DIFFERENT ETIOLOGIES AND TREATMENT NEEDS OF THESE FOUR TYPES. ALSO REPORTED ARE COMPARISONS BETWEEN DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS, AN ASSESSMENT OF AN IMPULSIVITY INDEX AS A MEANS OF PREDICTING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, AND AN ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL FUNCTIONING IN DELINQUENTS AND CONTROLS. THE REPORT CLOSES WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE SOCIETAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY RESULTS, INCLUDING EXAMINATIONS OF SUCH ISSUES AS THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE AGGRESSIVE INSTINCT, THE EFFECT OF TELEVISION ON VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, AND TREATMENT INNOVATIONS. SUPPORTING DATA, A LIST OF REFERENCES, AND INDEXES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)