Relating personality characteristics to juvenile offense categories: differences between status offenders and juvenile delinquents.

Examined the Jesness Inventories of 72 male juvenile offenders to see whether personality differences existed between the profiles of juvenile delinquents and status offenders. Of the 10 scales of the Jesness, analyses of variance yielded significant mean differences for 3 of the scales; 2 approached significance. A discriminant analysis also clearly discriminated between the two statutorily defined groups; status offenders appeared more rather than less disturbed than the juvenile delinquents. Results were discussed in terms of treatment ramifications and in providing empirical evidence to aid policy makers presently involved in deciding the appropriateness of court jurisdiction over status offenders.