Introduction

Children and adolescents generally enter the juvenile justice system as a result of externalizing behavior problems. Yet the majority of these youths have difficulties in other areas that contribute to their presentation as delinquents. Specifically, risk factors for juvenile delinquency include poor academic performance, school failure, low educational aspiration, and low school motivation (Loeber & Farrington, 2000), suggesting possible underlying deficits in cognition and learning. Indeed, delinquent youth have been shown to have intelligence quotient (IQ) scores ranging from 8–17 points lower than controls, and 11–61 percent of adolescents with conduct disorders have co-morbid learning problems (Vermeiren et al., 2002b; Vermeiren et al., 2002a). Neuropsychological deficits in general have been found to occur in 60–80 percent of delinquent youths (Teichner & Golden, 2000). Although a causal relationship between neuropsychological deficits and delinquency has not been identified, it is important to understand and address the neuropsychological deficits associated with delinquency, as doing so may contribute to the prevention of future delinquent behavior.

Several areas of neuropsychological function have been the focus of studies of adolescent delinquency, and deficits in two areas, namely, executive functioning and verbal ability, have been associated with delinquency. Executive function involves the ability to regulate behaviors, as well as the ability to think about one's own thought processes, also termed metacognition. Examples of behavior regulation skills include controlling impulsivity and emotional responses, and maintaining a stable set of behaviors across different contexts.