Differential classification of juvenile offenders

One hundred adolescents facing charges in criminal court were evaluated and examined for factors that discriminate them from each other. Cluster analysis based on self-report and parent-report instruments resulted in five groups of youth who could be differentiated based on internalizing and externalizing measures. These clusters were examined for differences in several areas. No differences in IQ scores, executive functioning, or number or severity of charges were found, as the literature on conduct disorder might suggest. However, differences were found in the number and type of diagnoses given to subjects in the different clusters. These findings are discussed in light of the literature on conduct disorder and previous clustering attempts. It is argued that juvenile offenders have typically been evaluated and understood primarily in terms of their externalizing behaviors, while not enough attention has been paid to internalizing behaviors.