TY - JOUR T1 - Treatment of delinquents. JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood JO - Arch Dis Child SP - 1392 LP - 1397 DO - 10.1136/adc.67.11.1392 VL - 67 IS - 11 AU - C Sheldrick Y1 - 1992/11/01 UR - http://adc.bmj.com/content/67/11/1392.abstract N2 - The medical role in the treatment of delinquency is a limited one. There is conflicting evidence as to whether treatment aims should be directed towards the individual, to the family, the institution, or the therapist. Nevertheless there seems to be a consensus of opinion that short term, focused therapies aimed at improving educational, vocational and social skills, possibly from a preschool age, are the most effective. Any treatment gains achieved while in residential care appear to be short lived. It therefore seems that this should be reserved for those individuals who commit repeated, violent crimes and for those from very damaging family backgrounds who repeatedly abscond or absent themselves from community based programmes. ER -