Medical histories of female delinquents. Clinical and epidemiologic findings
S. S. Shanok and D. O. Lewis
The medical histories (based on hospital records) of matched samples of
nonincarcerated delinquent girls, incarcerated delinquent girls, and
nondelinquent girls were compared. Numbers of visits, timing of visits,
services used, and reasons for hospital contacts were compared for the
three groups. Delinquent girls in general had significantly more adverse
medical histories than nondelinquent girls; they made significantly more
hospital visits and had significantly more accidents and injuries through
age 21 years. Perinatal difficulties did not distinguish these two groups.
Although incarcerated and nonincarcerated delinquent girls made similar
numbers of hospital visits, their histories differed qualitatively.
Accidents and injuries, head and face injuries, perinatal difficulties,
neurologic abnormalities, and child abuse were found more frequently in the
histories of incarcerated girls. These findings have etiologic importance
to the development of seriously delinquent behavior.
