The characteristics of AD/HD symptoms, self-esteem, and aggression among serious juvenile offenders in Japan

Eighty-three inmates of a correctional facility, who committed serious offences, participated in this study. They were all male and aged 14-17 years, with a mean age of 15.5 (SD = 1.21) years. Eighty-six age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Some psychological questionnaires such as on self-esteem and aggression were conducted in both groups. The aims of the present study were as follows: first, to clarify the characteristics of the subjects, such as IQ, psychological traits, and AD/HD symptoms; second, to examine how the subjects' self-esteem and aggression changed and/or improved on admission and at the time of parole (during the correctional educational period). For the results of paired t-tests, the self-esteem of subjects changed little. Therefore, our findings suggest that the improvement of antisocial behavior and transition of self-esteem are not directly linked with each other. Most inmates of the correctional facility showed a borderline IQ, markedly low self-esteem, unstable aggression, and serious AD/HD symptoms. In addition, the low self-esteem of subjects was not consistently elevated during the correctional education period. Moreover, their aggression was strongly correlated with AD/HD symptoms, both on admission and at the time of parole.