Competency to stand trial among adolescents

Adolescence. 1984 Summer;19(74):349-58.

Abstract

Both adolescents and adults were administered a standardized measure of competency to stand trial. Results suggested that competency to stand trial does increase through the adolescent years, but that even older adolescents, aged 15 to 17, received lower scores than did adults. These results have implications for the continuing policy changes that have made the juvenile court increasingly adversarial.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Advocacy / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Criminal Law
  • Forensic Psychiatry*
  • Humans
  • Juvenile Delinquency / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Psychological Tests