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Abstract
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Of the 37 juveniles currently condemned to death in the United States, all of the 14 incarcerated in four states received comprehensive psychiatric, neurological, neuropsychological, and educational evaluations. Nine had major neurological impairment, seven suffered psychotic disorders antedating incarceration, seven evidenced significant organic dysfunction on neuropsychological testing, and only two had full-scale IQ scores above 90. Twelve had been brutally physically abused, and five had been sodomized by relatives. For a variety of reasons the subjects' vulnerabilities were not recognized at the time of trial or sentencing, when they could have been used for purposes of mitigation.
VioLit summary
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study by Lewis et al. was to examine the biopsychosocial status of condemned juveniles, and to investigate the implications of these findings for the application of death sentences on juveniles.
METHODOLOGY:
A quasi-experimental cross-sectional design was employed, using a non-probability sample of 14 boys awaiting execution in four states that allow the execution of minors. This number represented about 40% of the population of juveniles on death row across the United States. A psychological examination was conducted, using a semi-structured interview that was based upon the 160-item Bellevue Adolescent Interview Schedule. Neurological histories were established, and mental status, educational and EEG examinations were also conducted. Neuropsychological tests included the WAIS, Revised, the Bender-Gestalt Test, the Rorschach Test, the House-Tree-Person Test and the Halstead-Reitan Battery of Neuropsychological Tests. Educational tests consisted of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, the Mini-Screen subtest of the Test of Adolescent Language, the Story subtest of the Test of Written Language and a speech screening test. Psychiatrists and neurologists determined if the subjects had been the victim of any type of abuse or had witnessed any family violence. Physical abuse was defined as being punched, beaten with a stick, board, pipe or belt buckle, or being beaten other than on the buttocks with a belt or switch. Subjects were classified as non-abused physically if struck with an open hand or beaten only on the buttocks with the leather part of a belt. Sexual abuse was considered present if an older person had fondled or performed intercourse with the subject, or if the subject had been forced to perform sexual acts upon an older person. Analysis involved determination of frequencies.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors found that 8 of the subjects had suffered head injuries in the past and had required hospitalization, with 9 showing abnormal EEGs, indicating neurological dysfunction. 7 were psychotic, 4 had mood disorders and 3 had paranoid ideation. Only 2 were found to have an IQ over 90. 12 had been brutally physically abused and 5 had been sodomized by older male relatives. There was a high prevalence of a parental history of alcoholism, drug abuse, psychiatric disorder and psychiatric hospitalization for all the subjects. The authors concluded that condemned juveniles are multiply handicapped. All of the conditions found within the subjects - psychiatric and neurological abnormalities, low IQ, a history of abuse and poor family environment - should have acted as mitigating circumstances in consideration of sentencing, and should have been used as arguments against the death penalty. Instead, these factors were unrecognized or concealed by the parent or the adolescent.
EVALUATION:
With a sample of 40% of the juvenile death row population, the results of this study have good generalization possibilities. It is a good exploratory design, with well-established and reliable measures and high internal validity. The findings are very interesting, as well as somewhat disconcerting, providing valuable information for future treatment and policy programs. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Inmate
KW - Male Inmate
KW - Male Offender
KW - Male Violence
KW - Incarcerated
KW - Inmate Studies
KW - Death Row
KW - Homicide Offender
KW - Homicide Causes
KW - Violence Causes
KW - Biological Factors
KW - Psychosocial Factors
KW - Family Environment
KW - Domestic Violence Effects
KW - Domestic Violence Victim
KW - Child Abuse Effects
KW - Child Abuse Victim
KW - Child Physical Abuse Effects
KW - Child Physical Abuse Victim
KW - Child Sexual Abuse Effects
KW - Child Sexual Abuse Victim
KW - Child Male
KW - Child Victim
KW - Childhood Experience
KW - Childhood Victimization
KW - Victim Turned Offender
KW - Child Abuse-Violence Link
KW - Head Injury
KW - Brain Injury
KW - Neurological Factors
KW - Mental Illness
KW - Mentally Ill Offender
KW - Mentally Ill Juvenile
KW - Mentally Ill Inmate
KW - Offender Characteristics
KW - Case Studies
Language: en |