Delinquency Report Highlights Youth Mental Health Issues

A new report on juvenile delinquency has found that four out of five young people in detention schools have psychiatric problems.

The report – Emotional Intelligence, Mental Health and Juvenile Delinquency – was carried out by two academics from UCD also found that two thirds of all juvenile offenders suffer from conduct disorder conditions such as ADHD.

More than half were abusing drink and drugs with equal numbers addicted to cocaine and cannabis as alcohol and cannabis. They first began using cannabis and alcohol at nine-years-old and began taking cocaine when they were 13-years-old.

The report is issued on the day a 15-year-old boy is due back before the Children’s Court awaiting sentence because there was no custodial place in Oberstown Boys Centre for him earlier this week.