Sucrose and Delinquency: Behavioral Assessment

In this study, a double-blind challenge design was used to evaluate the hypothesis that sucrose ingestion may compromise the behavioral performance of juvenile delinquents. Subjects were 58 white delinquents, 57 black delinquents, and 39 white nondelinquents. The behavioral assessment included tasks that are relevant to delinquency and that might be expected to be disrupted following sucrose ingestion. The results provide no evidence that sucrose ingestion impairs the performance of juvenile delinquents. In fact, the results of several analyses indicated that the sucrose breakfast was associated with improved performance. In additional analyses the effect of sucrose on particular subgroups of juvenile delinquents was evaluated. Statistical interactions indicated that the performance of delinquents rated as more behaviorally disturbed benefited from sucrose ingestion, whereas those delinquents with less pronounced behavior problems tended to show impaired performance following a sucrose-loaded breakfast. These results indicate that simple statements regarding the effects of sucrose ingestion on behavior are likely to be misleading and highlight the need to consider individual difference variables when investigating the effects of sucrose on juvenile delinquents.

Delinquents' Attitudes toward the Juvenile Justice System

The study investigated (1) the differences in attitudes toward legal agencies between white and black delinquents, (2) group differences on anomie scales and (3) intergroup correlational analyses among attitudes toward legal agencies and anomie scales. A random sample of delinquents (73 white and 73 black) were administered measures of attitudes toward the police, juvenile court, probation and anomie. t tests of significance and z tests using Fisher's r to z transformation assessed group differences. White delinquents had more unfavorable attitudes toward the juvenile court while black delinquents had more hostile attitudes toward the police. White delinquents had more feelings of valuelessness and hopelessness. Black delinquents had more of powerlessness. Correlations suggest that attitudes toward legal agencies and those of anomie may be acquired independently.