Citation

Lewis DO, Shanok SS, Balla DA. Am. J. Psychiatry 1979; 136(4A): 419-423.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

570808

Abstract

The authors compared the medical histories of incarcerated and nonincarcerated delinquent children. Incarcerated delinquent children were significantly more likely than nonincarcerated delinquents to have sustained severe head and face injury. Differences were evident by age 2. Perinatal difficulties and psychiatric impairment were also significantly more prevalent in the histories of incarcerated delinquents. Especially violent incarcerated children had more perinatal difficulties, accidents, injuries, and ward admissions than did their less violent incarcerated peers. The authors suggest that the combination of early CNS trauma, parental psychopathology, and social deprivation is responsible for the serious, often violent, delinquency that is now prevalent.

Language: en