Cooper D K
Forensic Services, Bridgewater State Hospital, MA 02324, USA.
Behav Sci Law. 1997 Spring;15(2):167-80. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0798(199721)15:2<167::aid-bsl266>3.0.co;2-e.
There exists a national trend lowering the age to transfer children facing serious charges to adult court for trial. This study examined juvenile offenders' understanding of factual information about trials. Juveniles ages 11 through 16 experiencing their first institutional placement were administered a competence to stand trial screening measure, shown an educational videotape, and readministered the measure. Findings suggest that a majority do not have sufficient understanding for meaningful participation in their trials. Special care appears warranted with juveniles ages 13 and under, and juveniles with low average or below average IQ scores. Further, substantial training may be necessary for some juvenile offenders.
目前存在一种全国性的趋势，即将面临严重指控的儿童移交至成人法庭受审的年龄有所降低。本研究考察了少年犯对审判事实信息的理解。对11至16岁首次进入教养机构的少年实施了一项受审能力筛查措施，向他们播放了一盘教育录像带，之后再次实施该措施。研究结果表明，大多数少年对有意义地参与审判没有足够的理解。对于13岁及以下的少年以及智商分数处于平均水平或低于平均水平的少年，似乎需要给予特别关照。此外，对一些少年犯可能需要进行大量培训。
