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Abstract

Previous studies have found that male juvenile offenders typically obtain low scores on measures of intelligence, often with a pattern of higher scores on measures of nonverbal relative to verbal tasks. The research on the intelligence performance of female juvenile offenders is limited. This study explored the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) scores of 430 female juvenile offenders. Their mean IQ scores were significantly lower than the standardization sample means. Cluster analysis, which allows for identification of subgroups based on IQ score patterns, revealed five distinct subgroups of girls within the sample based on their WISC-IV Index scores. Although there was a cluster that was similar to the Verbal IQ (VIQ) < Performance IQ (PIQ) pattern described in previous studies, the other clusters serve as a reminder of the diversity of cognitive functioning among juvenile offenders.

Keywords

female juvenile delinquency intelligence risk factors cluster analysis

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Intelligence Score Profiles of Female Juvenile Offenders

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