| dc.description.abstract | This research examined some of the risk/need factors that discriminate offending
from non-offending youth employing three groups of adolescents at different
points on the crime continuum. Non-offenders (n=30), probationary young
offenders (n=28) and incarcerated young offenders (n=28), aged 16 to 18 years
were subjects for whom a number of psychometric measures and other data were
collected. A self-report measure of delinquent and criminal activity (SRP) was
developed and used to validate group assignment along the crime continuum.
Risk/need measures were predominantly psychometric and included measures of
personality, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, family dysfunction, intelligence, academic
achievement and the SRP. Drug abuse, family dysfunction and last complete grade
were the measures which discriminated among all three groups. Increased
criminality was associated with increased drug abuse problems, increased family
dysfunction and a lower self-reported grade achievement level. Of lesser relevance
in identifying group experiences were alcohol abuse, IQ, depression and
psychiatric symptomology. The results and limitations of the study are discussed. | |
