NCJ Number
133537
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The expertise and involvement of a psychiatrist may be both useful and crucial to a juvenile court at many stages of the juvenile justice process, although the issues that must be addressed at one stage are usually quite different from those that arise at another stage.
Abstract
Thus, to be pertinent, a psychiatric consultation must address the specific issues that led to the consultation request. At the intake phase of cases involving alleged delinquency, psychiatrists may be asked to provide information to aid a decision regarding diversion. When the child or adolescent is a victim of abuse, psychiatrists may be asked to assess the psychological damage to the youth or the parent's fitness to be a parent. During the adjudication phase, psychiatrists may be asked to determine the youth's competency for adjudication, the potential for rehabilitation of a youth for whom waiver to criminal court is being considered, and criminal responsibility in cases involving the insanity defense. During the disposition phase, issues of prognosis, amenability to treatment, and the type of treatment needed are of greatest concern to the court. Special issues that may also require attention include drug abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, juvenile sex offenders, violent juveniles, and the termination of parental rights. 8 references