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Violent Crime, Sociopathy and Love Deprivation Among Adolescent Delinquents

NCJ Number
109766
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 22 Issue: 87 Dated: (Fall 1987) Pages: 705-717
Author(s)
A Walsh; J A Beyer
Date Published
1987
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Ever since Wechsler observed that the adolescent sociopath characteristically scored higher on the performance (P) section of the Wechsler IQ scale relative to the verbal (V) section, psychologists have been debating its meaning.
Abstract
This study examines the relationships between P-V discrepancy scores, love deprivation, and juvenile delinquency among a sample of juvenile probationers. P-V scores were significantly related to love deprivation and violent crimes. It was determined that much of the explanatory power of P-V with regard to violent delinquent behavior was mediated by love deprivation. We also found that P-V scores could not be explained away by social class, low verbal scores, or lower full-scale scores. Only love deprivation was found to be significantly related to P-V scores in our path model, thus offering some support to the assertions of some authors that early emotional stresses affect subsequent autonomic nervous system function.