Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136:288-292
Copyright © 1979 by American Psychiatric Association
Parental criminality and medical histories of delinquent children
DO Lewis, SS Shanok and DA Balla
In clinical practice the authors observed that many of the delinquent
children of psychiatrically impaired and/or criminal parents had remarkably
adverse health histories. To test their clinical impression they
systematically compared the medical histories of 20 delinquent children
with criminal parents and 85 delinquent children with less obviously
maladapted parents. They found a strong association between paternal
criminality and serious medical problems in these delinquent children. On
the basis of this finding the authors suggest that the behavioral
manifestations resulting from such physical illness or neglect, although
they appear genetic in nature, may reflect the physical and psychological
consequences of parental neglect and/or battering.
