Evaluation of juvenile delinquency cases in Aydın province

Objective: The number of juvenile delinquency has been increasing in recent years. The crimes these children commit continue to be a problem for child, family and society both in our country and in the world. With this study, it is aimed to reveal the factors that affect juvenil delinquency and determine measures about it. Methods: 110 children who were referred to Aydın Adnan Menderes University Application and Research Hospital for forensic evaluation as of January 1, 2019 due to the alleged crime they committed, and 110 children who were 12 years of age at the time of the actual act but were not over 18 years of age were taken into consideration. The interview forms recorded during the examinations of the children in the Forensic Medicine Department Polyclinic were examined. A questionnaire form was prepared to examine the sociodemographic data of the case and his family obtained from the patient files and the psychiatric examination findings of the cases. Interview forms and reports of the cases were evaluated in accordance with this questionnaire. Results: 75.5% (n: 83) of the cases were male and 24.5% (n: 27) were female and the mean age at which the cases were involved in crime was 13.71 ± 0.91. 63.6% of the cases attend school and only 25.7% of them have a good school success. It was found that 22.7% of the cases were children involved in repetitive crime. It was found that most of these children dragged into crime had substance use, did not participate in social activities, and were involved in crime in their immediate environment, family and friends group. It was found that the parental education levels of most of the cases were low, most of the mothers were housewives and the fathers were workers and the family income level was low. It was observed that children were most frequently involved in theft crime, the second was intentional injury, and theft crime was repeated most frequently. It was found that 27.7% of the cases had mental retardation, 24% had DHEB and 22.2% had conduct disorder. Conclusion: According to the findings of our study, low school success, substance use, low parental education level and low income level were found to be important risk factors for repeating the crime. It was thought that economic, social and cultural arrangements were needed in order to identify children in the risk group and to take precautions for these children and to reintegrate children driven into crime.