A publication of the Institute for the study of Antisocial behaviour in Youth (IAY). Affiliated with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children Edited by Dr. Jalal Shamsie, MB, FRCP(C) Director, Institute for the study of Antisocial behaviour in Youth Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Volume 17, Number 1 Spring 1999 In this Issue: Special Feature: To Serve Children Well Agencies Should Collaborate by Bruce Ferguson

Also in this Issue: Maltreatment and its Impact on Children Maltreatment and Abusive Relationships Divorce, Remarriage, and Delinquency ADHD in Girls Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Juvenile Offenders Predicting Antisocial Behaviour in Children Peer Group Victimization Stability of Diagnosis in Preschool Years Parenting Practices and Conduct Disorder Recidivism in Juvile Sexual Offenders Multisystemic Treatment for Criminality and Violence Psychiatric Intervention of Violent Behaviour Maltreatment and its Impact on Children Fantuzzo, J.W., Weiss, A.D., Atkins, M., Meyers, R., & Noone, M. (1998). A contextually relevant assessment of the impact of child maltreatment on the social competencies of low-income urban children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 1201-1208. Maltreatment, which includes neglect and abuse of children, remains a serious problem in our society. In a recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it was reported that nearly one child in 24 were the victim of maltreatment. This study examined the effects of maltreatment on preschool children's emotional adjustment and social relationships. The study compared the functioning of a group of maltreated children with a comparable group of non-maltreated children in areas of peer play interaction, global social skills, peer assessments, and teacher and parent ratings of behaviour. Results Maltreated children... had decreased peer play interaction and fewer social competencies had less self control were less liked by peers exhibited more internalizing problems such as withdrawal and sadness The authors point out that other studies of maltreated children have found an increase in externalizing problems such as aggression and other disruptive behaviours. They explain that less than 20% of all the children in the study were physically abused, and aggressive behaviour was related to physical abuse, but not to neglect. ADHD in Girls Sharp, W.S., Walter, J.M., Marsh, W.L., Ritchie, G.F., Hamburger, S.D., & Castellanos, F.X. (1999). ADHD in girls: Clinical comparability of a research sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 40-47. Most studies of children with ADHD have been carried out with boys. This may be because many more boys suffer from ADHD than girls. This study examined girls who were diagnosed to be suffering from ADHD. A matched sample of boys with ADHD who were previously studied were selected for comparison purposes. Results The two groups were very similar on a wide range of measures. However, most of the symptoms were more severe in girls than boys, with the exception of hyperactivity which was reported to be more severe in boys by the teachers, but not by parents. The girls and boys did not differ in their response to drugs (methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine). Both girls and boys responded well to the medications.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Juvenile Offenders Cauffman, E., Feldman, S.S., Waterman, J., & Steiner, H. (1998). Posttraumatic stress disorder among female juvenile offenders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 1209-1216 Although there are many studies indicating the presence of psychopathology in male juvenile offenders, there are relatively few such studies of female offenders. This study examines the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in female juvenile offenders, and its effect on social and emotional adjustment. Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a "traumatic event" and symptoms such as a high level of anxiety, depression, aggression, various physical complaints, and withdrawal. This is the first study which examines the incidence of PTSD in incarcerated female offenders. Trauma 70% of the female offenders had been exposed to some form of trauma. 74% reported being hurt or in danger of being hurt. 76% reported witnessing someone being severely injured or killed. 60% reported being raped or in danger of being raped. Socio-emotional adjustment Those suffering from PTSD were found to exhibit higher levels of distress and lower levels of self- restraint. PTSD 65.3% of the female offenders had experienced symptoms of PTSD some time in their lives. ·48.9% of the incarcerated female offenders were experiencing the symptoms of PTSD at the time of the study. It is important to note that female offenders are 50% more likely to suffer from PTSD than male juvenile offenders. It has been suggested that females are more likely to develop symptoms of PTSD than males after a traumatic incident. This could be explained by the fact that females are more likely to be victims of violence than witnesses, and being a victim is more likely to cause mental health problems than being a witness. Clinical Implications The presence of PTSD may make rehabilitative efforts less successful, for example PTSD may make offenders more impulsive. Female offenders should be examined for the symptoms of PTSD. Often these females are referred for attention problems when the problem may be PTSD.

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Affiliated with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children

        

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