An Evaluation of Nonassaultive, Assaultive, and Sexually Assaultive Adolescents at Pretrial Sentencing: A Comparison on Cognition, Personality, Aggression, and Criminal Sentiments

Abstract

This study evaluated male adolescents who were convicted of offenses. Test scores of 12 nonassaultive, 14 assaultive, and 13 sexual offenders were compared prior to sentencing. A battery of psychometric tests evaluating cognition, scholastic ability, personality, aggression, and criminal sentiments were administered. Significant differences were noted for the subtest Block Design of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Significant personality measures were also noted for Social Introversion and Addiction Acknowledgement of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent Form, and the Inhibited, Sexual Discomfort, Peer Insecurity, Substance Abuse Proneness, and Anxious Feelings of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory. There were significant differences noted for the State Anger, Feel Like Expressing Anger Verbally, Feel Like Expressing Anger Physically, Trait Anger, Angry Temperament, Angry Reaction, Anger Expression-Out, and Anger Expression Index of the Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Discriminant analyses showed the three groups could be separated by stepwise procedure.

Exploring Traumatic Brain Injuries and Aggressive Antisocial Behaviors in Young Male Violent Offenders

“…Even mild/moderate TBI has been associated with indices of the WAIS relating to working memory and cognitive speed, as well as Full Scale IQ (32). Furthermore, previous research indicate a negative association between intellectual functioning and aggressive antisocial behaviors, though other studies have not corroborated these findings (33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38). Thus, general intellectual functioning would need to be considered as a possible confounder.…”