Adjudicative Competency in a Juvenile Population

Abstract

Differences in adjudicative competency among juveniles who were either awaiting adjudication ( n= 70) or members of an age-matched control group ( n= 40) were assessed, and their scores were compared with those of an adult sample. Competency was assessed using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool–Criminal Adjudication, which contains three scales: Understanding, Reasoning, and Appreciation. Participants in the comparison group did not complete the Appreciation scale and were compared only on the Reasoning and Understanding scales. The scores earned by participants awaiting adjudication were significantly lower than those earned by comparison participants on the Reasoning scale ( p< .05). Scores on the Reasoning and Appreciation scales were found to be related to age. When compared with adults, significant adjudicative deficits were noted among adolescents groups.