Abstract
Juvenile delinquency and adult sociopathy are disorders of considerable magnitude and social significance. Wolfgang, Figlio, & Sellin (1972) studied the incidence of delinquency in a birth cohort of 10,000 children from a large metropolitan area. All subjects who had a recorded police contact any time before 18 years of age were designated delinquents. Using this rather broad definition, these investigators found that 35% of all males studied were delinquent. Serious antisocial behavior in adolescents in many cases presages lifelong problems with the law, inability to earn a living, defective interpersonal relationships, and severe personal distress (Robins, 1966). It has been hypothesized that if one could successfully treat antisocial behavior in childhood, the problems of adult crime, alcoholism, divorce, and chronic unemployment might be vastly diminished (Robins, 1972). It has long been recognized that boys who become delinquent have few good influences in their lives and come from poor social and family environments.
Published Version
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