An Assessment of Criminal Thinking Among Incarcerated Youths in Three States

Abstract

The Texas Christian University Criminal Thinking Scales (CTS) instrument has been shown to predict outcomes for institutionalized adult offenders. This article examines responses among male (n = 151) and female (n = 52) incarcerated adolescents, and they were compared to norms for incarcerated adult offenders. The results indicated that the adolescent sample had higher scores on four scales (Entitlement, Justification, Personal Irresponsibility, Power of Orientation) but not on Criminal Rationalization. Scores did not differ by gender or ethnicity of respondents. The results provide convergent validity indicating that the scores for adolescents were correlated with prior history of criminal behavior, substance use, family dysfunction, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition diagnoses of conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Thus, the CTS may provide useful diagnostic information to help identify youth with a constellation of problem behaviors that predict poor outcomes following incarceration. It also may prove helpful in accounting for individual variations in response to treatment for incarcerated adolescents who receive treatment during reentry back into the community.

Keywords

juvenile psychosocial functioning juvenile offender problems conduct disorder criminal thinking family functioning

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abram, K.M. , Teplin, L.A. , McClelland, G.M. , & Dulcan, M.K. (2003). Comorbid psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60, 1097-1108.

Adams, L. , & Wallace, J.L. (1994). Residential treatment for the ADHD adolescent substance abusers. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 4(1), 35-44.

American Psychiatric Association. (2005). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: Author.

Cocozza, J. , & Skowyra, K.R. (2000). Youth with mental health disorders: Issues and emerging responses. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Journal, 7, 3-12.

Dembo, R. , & Schmeidler, J. (2003). A classification of high-risk youth. Crime & Delinquency, 42, 201-230.

Dennis, M.L. , Godley, S.H. , Diamond, G. , Tims, F.M. , Babor, T. , Donaldson, J. , et al. (2004). The Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) study: Main findings from two randomized trials. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 27, 197-213.

Elliott, D.S. , Ageton, S.S. , Huizinga, D. , Knowles, B.A. , & Canter, R.J. (1983). The prevalence and incidence of delinquent behavior: 1976-1980. Boulder, CO: Behavioral Research Institute.

Elliott, D.S. , Huizinga, D. , & Ageton, S. (1985). Explaining delinquency and drug use. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Gendreau, P. , Little, T. , & Goggin, C. (1996). A meta-analysis of the predictors of adult offender recidivism: What works! Criminology, 34, 575-607.

10.

Jainchill, N. , De Leon, G. , & Yagelka, J. (1997). Ethnic differences in psychiatric disorders among adolescent substance abusers in treatment. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 19, 133-148.

11.

Jainchill, N. , Dembo, R. , Hawke, J. , Alexander, J. , & Turner, C. (2005). CJ-DATS brief report series: Comparing three reentry strategies for drug abusing juvenile offenders New York : Authors. Retrieved from http://cjdats.org

12.

Kaminer, Y. , & Burleson, J.A. (1999). Psychotherapies for adolescent substance abusers: 15-month follow-up of a pilot study. American Journal of Addictions, 8, 114-119.

13.

Kaminer, Y. , Tarter, R.E. , Bukstein, O.G. , & Kabene, M. (1992). Comparison between treatment completers and noncompleters among dually diagnosed substance abusing adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 1046-1049.

14.

Knight, K. , Garner, B.R. , Simpson, D.D. , Morey, J.T. , & Flynn, P.M. (2006). An assessment of criminal thinking. Crime & Delinquency, 52, 159-177.

15.

Liddle, H.A. , Dakof, G.A. , Parker, K. , Diamond, G.S. , Barrett, K. , & Tejeda, M. (2001). Multidimensional family therapy for adolescent drug abuse: Results of a randomized clinical trial. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 27, 651-688.

16.

Loeber, R. , Farrington, D.P. , Stouthamer-Loeber, M. , & Van Kammen, W.B. (1998). Multiple risk factors for multi-problem boys: Co-occurrence of delinquency, substance abuse, attention deficit, conduct problems, physical aggression, covert behaviors, depressed mood, and shy/withdrawn behavior. In R. Jessor (Ed.), New perspectives on adolescent risk behaviors (pp. 90-149). New York: Cambridge University Press.

17.

Miller, R.G. (1981). Simultaneous statistical inference (2nd ed.). New York: Springer-Verlag.

18.

Moffitt, T.E. (1993). Adolescent-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674-701.

19.

Moos, R.H. , & Moos, B.S. (2002). Family Environment Scale manual: Development, applications, research. Palo Alto, CA: Mind Garden, Inc.

20.

Muthén, L.K. , & Muthén, B.O. (2006). Mplus user's guide (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Authors .

21.

Myers, M.G. , Brown, S.A. , & Mott, M.A. (1995). Preadolescent conduct disorder behaviors predict relapse and progression of addiction for alcohol and drug abusers. Alcoholism, 19, 1528-1536.

22.

Otto, R.K. , Greenstein, J.J. , Johnson, M.K. , & Friedman, R.M. (1992). Prevalence of mental disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. In J. J. Cocozza (Ed.), Responding to the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system (pp. 7-48). Seattle, WA: National Coalition for the Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System .

23.

Rogers, R. , Johansen, J. , Chang, J.J. , & Salekin, R.T. (1997). Predictors of adolescent psychopathy: Oppositional and conduct-disordered symptoms. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 25, 261-271.

24.

Shaffer, D. , Fisher, P. , Lucas, C.P. , Dulcan, M.K. , & Schwab-Stone, M.E. (2000). NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children—Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): Description, differences from the previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnosis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 28-38.

25.

Shane, P.A. , Jasiukaitis, P. , & Green, R.S. (2003). Treatment outcomes among adolescents with substance abuse problems: The relationship between comorbidities and post-treatment substance involvement. Evaluation and Program Planning, 26, 393-402.

26.

Stanton, M.D. , & Shadish, W.R. (1997). Outcome, attrition, and family/couples treatment for drug abuse: A review of the controlled, comparative studies. Psychological Bulletin, 122, 170-190.

27.

Teplin, L.A. , Abram, K.M. , McClelland, G.M. , Dulan, M.K. , & Mericle, A.A. (2002). Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychology, 59, 1133-1143.

28.

Tubman, J.G. , Gil, A.G. , Wagner, E.F. , & Antigues, H. (2003). Patterns of sexual risk behaviors and psychiatric disorders in a community sample of young adults. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 26, 395-415.

29.

Waldron, H.B. , Slesnick, N. , Brody, J.L. , Turner, C.W. , & Peterson, T.R. (2001). Treatment outcomes for adolescent substance abuse at 4- and 7-month assessments. Journal of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, 69, 802-813.

30.

Waldron, H.B. , Turner, C.W. , & Ozechowski, T.J. (2005). Profiles of drug use behavior change for adolescents in treatment. Addictive Behaviors, 30, 1775-1796.

31.

Waldron, H.B. , Turner, C.W. , & Ozechowski, T.J. (2006). Profiles of change in behavioral and family interventions for adolescent substance abuse and dependence. In C. Rowe & H. Liddle (Eds.), Treating adolescent substance abuse: State of the science (pp. 357-374). New York: Cambridge University Press.

32.

Walters, G.D. (1995). The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles, Part 1. Reliability and preliminary validity. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 22, 307-325.

33.

Walters, G.D. , Trgovac, M. , Rychlec, M. , Di Fazio, R. , & Olsen, J.R. (2002). Assessing change with the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles: A controlled analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 29, 308-331.

34.

Wasserman, G.A. , McReynolds, L.S. , Ko, S.J. , Katz, L.M. , & Carpenter, J.R. (2005). Gender differences in psychiatric disorders at juvenile probation intake. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 131-137.

35.

Wasserman, G.A. , McReynolds, L. , Larkin, S. , Fisher, P.W. , & Santos, L. (2002). The Voice DISC-IV with incarcerated youths: Prevalence of disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 314-321.

36.

Williams, R.J. , & Chang, S.Y. (2000). A comprehensive and comparative review of adolescent substance abuse treatment outcome. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 7, 138-166.

37.

Winters, K.C. (1999). Treating adolescents with substance use disorders: An overview of practice issues and treatment outcome. Substance Abuse, 20, 203-224.

38.

Yochelson, S. , & Samenow, S.E. (1976). The criminal personality. Vol. 1: A profile for change New York: Jason Aronson.