Race, Health, and Delinquency

Abstract

This paper reports results of a study of medical histories of black and white delinquents and a matched sample of nondelinquents. Medical records were analyzed in terms of numbers and timing of hospital contacts, nature of services used, and reasons for contacts. Black delinquents made somewhat more hospital visits than white delinquents. White delinquents had significantly more hospital contacts and accidents, injuries, illnesses, and psychiatric problems than white nondelinquents. Findings are discussed in terms of the relevance of particular medical events to the development of maladaptive behaviors, the tendency of clinicians to dismiss as culturally expectable certain medical and psychological factors in black children and their families, and the failure of physicians to recognize the existence of severe family disorganization in black children with multiple hospital contacts.