Juvenile offenders assessment

Evaluation of juveniles is an integral process that includes a broad bio-psycho-social clinical perspective together with the use of auxiliary instruments. The aim of this review is to report relevant issues for this process found in recent publications.

Several evidences lead to broadening the assessment process of children and youngsters to include family functioning style. Mental health services allow the evaluation of multiple factors associated with antisocial behavior that may lead to devising preventive actions. In the Juvenile Justice System a wide-ranging evaluation must include the exploration of general personality characteristics and psychopathic traits in particular; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; intelligence; substance abuse and conduct disorder must be considered.

A number of factors that have an impact on juvenile antisocial behavior have been identified and can be assessed using the appropriate methodology. The exploration of these factors at different developmental stages and in their various manifestations provide guidelines for devising preventive and therapeutic actions as well as for supporting judicial decisions. Though enriching the present state of the art is always a challenge, it is imperative to encourage the governments to utilize this knowledge to improve the care system of children and adolescents.