Endogenous Factors of Juvenile Delinquency
This study was performed on two ethnically homogeneous samples of male adolescents. The delinquent subjects were recruited on voluntary basis from the only juvenile correction centre in Siberia, where they were referred by a court ruling. The control subjects were recruited from among schoolchildren. A comparison between 217 male convicts and 400 age-matched controls using Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Goodman's Questionnaire showed significant differences. The high level of Hyperactivity was positively correlated with antisocial behavior. Inmates who committed nonviolent crimes (thefts) appeared to have a lower level of neuroticism and psychoticism compared with those who committed violent crimes (hooliganism, robbery, rape, and murder). The paper discusses mechanisms underlying these findings.