A Review of the Literature: Learning Disabilities and Juvenile Delinquency

1

• A Review of the Literature Learning Disabilities
  and Juvenile Delinquency
• Priscilla Prevalence of Learning Disabilities
  in Young Offenders
• Rachel Incarcerated Youth, Learning
  Disabilities and Recidivism
• Cyndi Literacy Interventions in Youth Detention
  Centres
• July 23, 2010

2
Prevalence of Learning Disabilities in Young
Offenders

• 1.) Definitional Issues How can we really
  identify the actual proportion of students with
  disabilities that are juvenile delinquents when
  different studies use different definitions
  (Morris Morris, 2006)?
• Future Recommendations for Definitional Issues A
  standardized definition of the disability
  should be used across studies.

3
Implications

• 2.) Methodological Problems Although there have
  been a multiplicity of studies conducted in the
  United States regarding the prevalence rate of
  individuals with disabilities and delinquency
  these estimates vary greatly due to a variety of
  factors (Morris Morris, 2006).
• Future Recommendations A large scale
  epidemiological study is needed.

4
Implications

• 3.) Hypotheses regarding the link between LD
  delinquency Three hypotheses have been proposed
  regarding the link between learning disabilities
  and delinquency. These three hypothesis are
• School Failure Hypothesis
• Susceptibility Hypothesis
• Differential Treatment Hypothesis
• Future Research In the future, we need to
  partial-out those variables which contribute to
  youth becoming juvenile delinquents versus
  examining those protective and resiliency factors
  that contribute to youth not becoming juvenile
  delinquents. (Morris Morris, 2006).

5
Incarcerated youth, learning disabilities and
recidivism

• Similarities and Common Trends
• The number of incarcerated youth with learning
  disabilities is higher than in their
  non-incarcerated peers
• Archwamety, T. A. Katsiyannis (1997 1998)
• Grigorenko, G. (2006)
• Katsuyannis, A., Ryan, J., Zhang, D., A. Spann
  (2008), Rucklidge, J., McLean, A. P. Bateup
  (2009)
• Virginia Juvenile Justice Summit on Children and
  Youth with Disabilities Executive Summary (2001)

6
Differing Trends

• Reading and math
• Reading comprehension
• (Rucklidge, McLean Bateup, 2009)
• Mathematics
• (Archwamety Katsiyannis, 1997 1998)
  (Grigorenko, 2006)
• Virginia Youth Detention Centers
• (Virginia Juvenile Justice Summit on Children
  and Youth with Disabilities Executive Summary,
  2001)

7
Other Factors

• Female young offenders
• (Archwamety Katsyannis, 1998)
• Factors that make youth less likely to
• re-offend
• (Archwamety Katsyannis, 1998)

8
Implications

• Interventions (Rucklidge, McLean Bateup, 2009)
• Family and Community
• Reduce dropouts and increase programs to obtain
  GED (Archwamety Katsyannis, 1998)
• Further research is needed

9
Literacy Interventions in Youth Detention Centres

• High levels of transient youth in detention
  centres which effects the efficacy of the
  education program (Drakeford, 2002)
• Youth should be required to complete education
  programs while incarcerated but also as a part of
  their integration back into the community

10
Implications

• While incarcerated, it is imperative for youth
  who have learning difficulties to have
  educational programs that are high-quality,
  intensive and on-going (Malmgrem and Leone, 2000)
• Facilities would have to employ experienced
  teaching staff that would provide this type
  support for youth, as well as ensure that youth
  with learning disabilities have an Individualized
  Education Plan (IEP)

11
Implications

• Students who have learning difficulties are
  at-risk for becoming young offenders but may also
  have behavioural/social/emotional needs that
  should be addressed (Grigorenko, 2006)
• This could be done through counselling, referrals
  to child and youth workers, linking their
  families with resources in their community

12
Implications

• It is apparent that most of these recommendations
  are not possible until some government and policy
  issues are changed at a community, provincial and
  national level.
• A motivating factor for government may be that it
  is cost effective to provide education programs
  to youth with learning difficulties as it reduces
  recidivism, which, is more expensive (Simpson,
  Swanson Kunkel, 1992)
• Further research is needed