Acta psychiat. scand. (1976) 54, 25-28 Psychiatric Clinic (Head Professor K . A. Acht4, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Specific reading retardation, hyperactive child syndrome, and juvenile delinquency M. VIRKKUNEN AND A. NUUTILA The purpose of the study was to ascertain the extent to which a specific reading retardation leads to criminal development in adolescents and to what factors such development is due in these cases. For this purpose, 224 adolescents with a specific reading retardation were investigated. A relatively large number of these (12.1 %) were prone to criminality between the ages of 15 and 20 years, whereas the seventy of the specific reading retardation did not seem to contribute to this propensity. Symptoms of hyperactivity, on the other hand, seemed to contribute to criminal behaviour.
Key words: Specific reading retardation - dyslexia - hyperactive child syndrome - minimal brain dysfunction - prognosis - juvenile delinquency.
A specific reading retardation or disability has often been observed in association with a poor ability to concentrate, restlessness, and impulsiveness (Frisk et al. (1967), Wender (1971), Rutter & Yule (1973)). Earlier, such disability was called dyslexia, especially when emphasis was laid on the hereditary features of this condition. The above psychic symptoms have often been considered as being associated with the so-called hyperactive child syndrome (Stewart et al. (1966), Werry (1968), Cantwell (1975), Renshaw (1975)). This syndrome has been established at least in about 3 4 % of all children (Stewart et al. (1966), Office of Child Development; Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1971)). Many of these children, however, are able to outgrow this condition before adolescence. Those who are not able to do so are often susceptible to later behavioural disorders and delinquency (Thomas et al. (1968), Mendelson et al. (1971), Weiss et al. (1971), Adler (1972), Cantwell (1975), Thomas & Chess (1975)). As the extent to which a specific reading retardation leads to criminality and to what other factors such development is due are still unclear, this study was considered appropriate. Both this and the hyperactive child syndrome mentioned above are often part of what is known as minimal brain dysfunction (MBD syndrome) (Clements & Peters (1962), Wender (1971), Wender & Eisenberg (1974), Campbell (1975)). Wender & Eisenberg (1974) and Cantwell (1975) have especially accentuated the importance of knowing what types of MBD or hyperactive children develop in which ways. Cantwell (1975) considers the problem of whether the antisocial behaviour in hyperactive children is mediated through reading and educational retardation or not to be very important. Earlier, it has been
26 suspected that a specific reading retardation or dyslexia would not make a person susceptible to later criminality if certain environmental conditions did not also contribute to this (Critchley (1968)). MATERIAL AND METHODS
The present study was based on the cases available at the Children’s Castle and the Juvenile Outpatient Department of the Public Health Association Folkhalsan in Helsinki. These treatment centres in Finland specialize in these cases. All 224 male patients who had been treated as teenagers for specific reading retardation in the 1960’swere selected. Those with an IQ less than 85 were not included. The cases selected were checked against the Central Registry of Prisoners in order to ascertain which of these subjects had, between the ages of 15 and 20 (the juvenile criminal period), committed offences and been convicted. An equal number of random controls were included. These controls had received treatment for a specific reading retardation, but had not later shown criminal behaviour. The medical records were thoroughly studied, with special attention paid to the severity of specific reading retardation and features generally regarded as part of the hyperactive child syndrome. According to the degree of severity specific reading retardation was classified into two groups: special teaching would have been essential and special teaching would not have been essential. This evaluation was done in all cases regardless of other behavioural problems or the motivation of the parent or the child. Furthermore, the patients’ family situations were investigated. The d ~ e r e n c e sbetween the groups were evaluated statistically, using the chi-square test. RESULTS
The results revealed that as many as 27 (12.1%) of the subjects had, between the ages of 15 and 20, committed offences and been convicted (Table 1). This number can be considered relatively high because a maximum of 1.5 % of all Finnish adolescents of that age are convicted. Symptoms of hyperactivity occurred in both the subjects and controls. These symptoms were clearly observable in the majority of those who had committed offences. The symptoms were, without exception, slight in the controls. Hyperactivity and the ineffectiveness of disciplinary measures had without exception occurred already during the years before the school started. Lack of perseverance and inability to concentrate, and of course truancy, were apparent during the first school years. In 10 subjects with criminal histories but without hyperactivity, seven had only committed one, exceptional, crime. The cases of hyperactivity had usually already committed several crimes; there were only four cases with only one crime. Severity of specific reading retardation and the accompanying features such as clumsiness and poor handwriting were not of any significance.
27
Table 1. Significance of facts associated with specific reading retardation in criminal development
Symptom or childhood condition
Subjects with criminality (n = 27)
Controls ( n = 27)
x=
P
14
16
0.307
8 11
12 11
1.270 0.0
>.01 >.01 >.01
17
5
11.05
Specific reading retardation, hyperactive child syndrome, and juvenile delinquency M. VIRKKUNEN AND A. NUUTILA The purpose of the study was to ascertain the extent to which a specific reading retardation leads to criminal development in adolescents and to what factors such development is due in these cases. For this purpose, 224 adolescents with a specific reading retardation were investigated. A relatively large number of these (12.1 %) were prone to criminality between the ages of 15 and 20 years, whereas the seventy of the specific reading retardation did not seem to contribute to this propensity. Symptoms of hyperactivity, on the other hand, seemed to contribute to criminal behaviour.
Key words: Specific reading retardation - dyslexia - hyperactive child syndrome - minimal brain dysfunction - prognosis - juvenile delinquency.
A specific reading retardation or disability has often been observed in association with a poor ability to concentrate, restlessness, and impulsiveness (Frisk et al. (1967), Wender (1971), Rutter & Yule (1973)). Earlier, such disability was called dyslexia, especially when emphasis was laid on the hereditary features of this condition. The above psychic symptoms have often been considered as being associated with the so-called hyperactive child syndrome (Stewart et al. (1966), Werry (1968), Cantwell (1975), Renshaw (1975)). This syndrome has been established at least in about 3 4 % of all children (Stewart et al. (1966), Office of Child Development; Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1971)). Many of these children, however, are able to outgrow this condition before adolescence. Those who are not able to do so are often susceptible to later behavioural disorders and delinquency (Thomas et al. (1968), Mendelson et al. (1971), Weiss et al. (1971), Adler (1972), Cantwell (1975), Thomas & Chess (1975)). As the extent to which a specific reading retardation leads to criminality and to what other factors such development is due are still unclear, this study was considered appropriate. Both this and the hyperactive child syndrome mentioned above are often part of what is known as minimal brain dysfunction (MBD syndrome) (Clements & Peters (1962), Wender (1971), Wender & Eisenberg (1974), Campbell (1975)). Wender & Eisenberg (1974) and Cantwell (1975) have especially accentuated the importance of knowing what types of MBD or hyperactive children develop in which ways. Cantwell (1975) considers the problem of whether the antisocial behaviour in hyperactive children is mediated through reading and educational retardation or not to be very important. Earlier, it has been
26 suspected that a specific reading retardation or dyslexia would not make a person susceptible to later criminality if certain environmental conditions did not also contribute to this (Critchley (1968)). MATERIAL AND METHODS
The present study was based on the cases available at the Children’s Castle and the Juvenile Outpatient Department of the Public Health Association Folkhalsan in Helsinki. These treatment centres in Finland specialize in these cases. All 224 male patients who had been treated as teenagers for specific reading retardation in the 1960’swere selected. Those with an IQ less than 85 were not included. The cases selected were checked against the Central Registry of Prisoners in order to ascertain which of these subjects had, between the ages of 15 and 20 (the juvenile criminal period), committed offences and been convicted. An equal number of random controls were included. These controls had received treatment for a specific reading retardation, but had not later shown criminal behaviour. The medical records were thoroughly studied, with special attention paid to the severity of specific reading retardation and features generally regarded as part of the hyperactive child syndrome. According to the degree of severity specific reading retardation was classified into two groups: special teaching would have been essential and special teaching would not have been essential. This evaluation was done in all cases regardless of other behavioural problems or the motivation of the parent or the child. Furthermore, the patients’ family situations were investigated. The d ~ e r e n c e sbetween the groups were evaluated statistically, using the chi-square test. RESULTS
The results revealed that as many as 27 (12.1%) of the subjects had, between the ages of 15 and 20, committed offences and been convicted (Table 1). This number can be considered relatively high because a maximum of 1.5 % of all Finnish adolescents of that age are convicted. Symptoms of hyperactivity occurred in both the subjects and controls. These symptoms were clearly observable in the majority of those who had committed offences. The symptoms were, without exception, slight in the controls. Hyperactivity and the ineffectiveness of disciplinary measures had without exception occurred already during the years before the school started. Lack of perseverance and inability to concentrate, and of course truancy, were apparent during the first school years. In 10 subjects with criminal histories but without hyperactivity, seven had only committed one, exceptional, crime. The cases of hyperactivity had usually already committed several crimes; there were only four cases with only one crime. Severity of specific reading retardation and the accompanying features such as clumsiness and poor handwriting were not of any significance.
27
Table 1. Significance of facts associated with specific reading retardation in criminal development
Symptom or childhood condition
Subjects with criminality (n = 27)
Controls ( n = 27)
x=
P
14
16
0.307
8 11
12 11
1.270 0.0
>.01 >.01 >.01
17
5
11.05
