Forensic psychiatric evaluation and reports of juvenile pushed to crime: A two-year retrospective chart review (tur)

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to present the characteristics of juvenile pushed to crime who were brought to a child psychiatry clinic in a two-year period, the forensic reports and the measure decisions for these children. Method: Sociodemographic, clinical and crime data of 67 children (59 boys and 8 girls) were entered into the SPSS 23.0 package program and required statistics were applied. Results: 22.4% of the children with an average age of 15.2 ± 1.3 had recurrent crime. At least one in the family of 20.9% and among friends of 43.3% were involved in crime before. The most common types of crime were theft, sexual abuse and property damage. A significant relationship was found between the recidivism and the disciplinary penalty, school drop-out, prior psychiatric diagnosis, smoking, self-injurious behavior, having peers pushed into crime, crimes as theft and property damage. In 25.4% of the judicial reports, “the child perceives the legal meaning of the act committed and controls his/her behavior”, in 28.4% “the child perceives the legal meaning of the act committed however cannot control his/her behavior”, and in 46.3% “the child does not perceive the legal meaning of the act committed and cannot control his/her behavior” was reported. Preventive/supportive measures were recommended for approximately half of the children. There was approximately four months between the recommended and the taken measures, and these were substantially different from each other. Discussion: Individual, familial and environmental risk factors should be addressed together to protect children from recidivism and the cooperation of institutions involved in protective services should be strengthened.