Juvenile Delinquency, Education, and Mental Disability

The study examined the association of education and mental disability with delinquency among males in the Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966. Six percent subsequently acquired a criminal record between 15 and 22 years. Those with an IQ between 71 and 84 or attending special schools had a higher incidence of delinquency (15%). Eleven percent of the youngsters with a tested IQ between 50 and 70 had a criminal record, but none with an IQ of less than 50. A higher than average delinquency rate was found among those with lower socioeconomic status, especially when combined with low intelligence. Poor school performance in general was seen as one predictor of later social problems and delinquency. The social problems of the families with youngsters with disabilities seemed to have a greater predisposing effect for delinquent behavior than did mental disability.