Cognition and Disabilities in incarcerated male youth

This study investigates violence, disabilities, psychopathology, and cognition in incarcerated adolescent males. The study sample is comprised of adolescents who were incarcerated at a juvenile corrections facility for various violent offenses, ranging from persistent delinquency to sexual assault (n = 110). The primary hypothesis of the study posits that disabilities and cognitive processing are integral to the relation between violence exposure of children and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. tests this mediation model. <br>Each participant participated in two sessions that were conducted at a juvenile corrections facility using survey measures, cognitive tasks, and educational records review. The survey included self-reports of maltreatment, history of violence, self-regulation, and mental health. The cognitive battery included a number of aspects of cognition including frontal lobe function, interference processing, response inhibition, task switching, specific learning disabilities, and cognitive disabilities. Educational records were obtained and coded. <br>The sample was between the ages of 13 and 20 and self-defined as 36% mixed race, 31% Caucasian, and 28% African American. Approximately 70% were diagnosed with a disability. <br><br><br>