Psychological Characteristics of Child Criminals:
Developmental Characteristics: The fact that children’s brains are not yet fully developed may cause them to exhibit impulsive behaviors and not be able to fully predict the consequences.
Effect of the Environment: Factors such as domestic violence, neglect, and circle of friends may increase the risk of children committing crimes.
Psychological Disorders: Psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may pave the way for children to commit crimes.
Purpose of Psychological Assessment:
Causes of Crime: To understand the underlying reasons why the child committed a crime.
Risk Assessment: To determine the risk of the child committing a crime again in the future.
Treatment Plan: To create a treatment plan appropriate to the child’s needs.
Judicial Decisions: To shed light on the decisions to be made by the court.
Psychological Assessment Process:
Reporting: The psychologist collects information about the child’s past, family, school, and social environment.
Interviews: Evaluates the child’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by conducting one-on-one interviews with the child.
Tests: Measures the child’s cognitive, emotional, and social skills by applying psychological tests.
Report: Prepares a comprehensive report by evaluating all this data.
Effects of Psychological Assessment on the Judicial Process:
Determination of Sentence: When determining the child’s sentence in line with the psychological report, the court takes into account the reasons for the child’s crime and the need for rehabilitation.
Precautionary Decisions: Takes appropriate precautionary decisions for the child’s recovery (e.g., psychological treatment, family counseling).
Supervision: Makes decisions regarding the supervision and monitoring of the child throughout the criminal process.
