Learning Disabilities

The Link to Delinquency Should Be Determined, but Schools Should Do More Now Gao ID: GGD-76-97 March 4, 1977

There is growing evidence indicating a correlation between children with learning problems and children demonstrating juvenile delinquent behavior. Agencies and institutions dealing with juvenile justice and education in five States were visited, and consultants in remedial education conducted numerous psychological tests to derive a sample of learning problems of institutionalized juveniles.

One-fourth of the juveniles tested in the studies had primary learning problems. Academic underachievement was graded as mild, moderate, or severe, corresponding from 2 years below grade level to the absence of all academic skills. Whether these disabilities caused delinquency is uncertain; the question warrants further examination. Ameliorating such disabilities is justified for its own sake; moreover, it just may have the added benefit of reducing delinquency.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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