Date of Award

8-1986

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Uldis Smidchens

Second Advisor

Dr. David Cowden

Third Advisor

Dr. Kryszak

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency in the Macomb County Juvenile Court System. Because of the presence of several key variables, it was believed that learning disabilities was a unique trait of the detained population.

The population consisted of 517 male and female detained and adjudicated delinquents that were admitted to the facility during the 1983-84 school year. Biographical and crime related data were gathered by hand searches of the legal file. The learning disabled or non-learning-disabled classification resulted from interpretation of the scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised, the Woodcock-Johnson Psych-Educational Battery, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Five hypotheses were constructed and tested.

A relationship was found between learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and juvenile delinquency. No relationship was established between learning disabilities and the type of programming, type of offense, levels of arrests, and gender of offender. Significant biographical data were reported.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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