Date of Award
8-1-1986
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ded)
Department
Educational Foundations & Research
Abstract
Early behaviors of juvenile offenders and nonoffenders were studied to assess differences between the two groups. Experimental subjects were 50 youth residing in three northeastern counties of North Dakota who had committed two or more offenses. Control subjects were 50 non-offenders matched for birthdate, sex, and school. Data were collected retrospectively from both groups on Form 1 of the Louisville Behavior Checklist (LBC)» an inventory designed to detect psychopathological behaviors among preschool children. The responses were analyzed in terms of hypotheses that were designed to address (a) which scales of the LBC would show a significant difference between the offender and non-offender groups, and (b) which specific deviant behaviors would be found significantly more frequently among the offender group. Results indicated that the offender group scored significantly higher on 16 of the 20 LBC scales. The broad-band scale. Aggression, and the associated narrowband scales, Infantile Aggression, Hyperactivity, and Antisocial Behavior, each showed significance at the .001 level. The broad-band scale, Inhibition, and one of two associated narrow-band scales, Sensitivity, showed
significance at the *001 level* The narrow-band scales. Immaturity, Prosocial Deficit, Rare Deviance, Psychotic Behavior, and School Disturbance Predictor, each showed significance at the ®001 level• The broad-band scale, Severity Level, which includes all problem behaviors in the LBC, also showed significance at the .001 level. The narrow-band scales, Fear, Normal Irritability, and Neurotic Behavior, showed significance at the .01 level; Somatic Behavior showed significance at the .05 level. Results also indicated that the offender group scored significantly more frequently on the following 10 specific deviant behaviors on the LBC: "Disobeys,” "Unaware," "Steals at Home," "Impaired Relationships," "No Touch," Sadistic," "Steals Outside the Home, * "Somatic," "Depressed," and "Abusive." It was concluded that there were significant differences between the early behaviors of the offender and non-offender groups in this study. Parents and professionals should be aware that some children, even during the preschool years, demonstrate behaviors that indicate they are at high risk for engaging in future antisocial behavior.
Recommended Citation
Halverson, Kay A., "Preschool Behavioral Precursors of the Delinquency of Juvenile Offenders: A Retrospective Study" (1986). Theses and Dissertations. 6602.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/6602
