Diagnostic evaluation of the juvenile offender

Abstract

On the basis of previously reported findings that a high percentage of court-referred children suffered from serious psychopathology other than sociopathy, attention is called to some essential, though often overlooked, elements of the diagnostic evaluation of delinquents. Emphasis is on a meticulous history, including careful attention to the significances of family histories of serious psychiatric and/or neurological disorders. The importance of a detailed perinatal and medical history, with emphasis on determining a possible history of significant insult to the central nervous system, is stressed. A systematic mental status evaluation is strongly recommended. Techniques for assessing the existence of significant hallucinatory and delusional experiences in children are suggested. The uses of psychological and neurological evaluations to augment the psychiatric are discussed. The poor social situation from which many delinquents come as well as the obvious intrafamilial psychodynamic factors influencing delinquent behavior are recognized as frequent impediments to the search for less obvious psychotic and/or organic vulnerabilities in the juvenile offender. Case histories of several children who had previously been dismissed as merely sociopathic, illustrate the thesis of the paper.