Psychiatric Disorders and Future Violent Arrests: A Prospective Study Among Detained Girls. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Colins, Olivier F.; Van Damme, Lore
• Is Part Of: Youth violence and juvenile justice. Volume 18:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 365
• Page End: 380
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: violence -- criminal justice–involved females -- mental disorder -- limited prosocial emotions -- recidivism; Youth and violence -- United States -- Periodicals; Juvenile justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; Juvenile delinquency -- United States -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Juvenile corrections -- United States -- Periodicals; 364.360973
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204020916826
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-2040

Abstract

This study scrutinizes if detained girls with psychiatric disorders were at risk for future violent arrests during adolescence. A structured diagnostic interview was performed to determine the presence of various psychiatric disorders in 313 detained girls. Official juvenile arrest records were collected. With three exceptions that are in need of replication, psychiatric disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, subtypes of conduct disorder), psychiatric disorder categories (e.g., anxiety disorders), and psychiatric comorbidity patterns were not prospectively related to future violent arrests. Our findings suggest that detained girls with psychiatric disorders should not be considered more dangerous than their counterparts without disorders, at least not during adolescence.