title: The relationship between family functioning and the crime types in incarcerated children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the relationship between the family functioning and crime types in incarcerated children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty two incarcerated children aged between 13-18 years who were confined in child-youth prisons and child correctional facilities were enrolled into this descriptive study. Participants completed demographic questions and the McMaster Family Assessment Device (Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) (FAD) with face to face interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crime types were theft, assault (bodily injury), robbery, sexual assault, drug trafficker and murder. The socio-demographic characteristics were compared by using FAD scale, and growing up in a nuclear family had statistically significant better scores for problem solving and communication subscales and the children whose parents had their own house had significantly better problem solving scores When we compared the crime types of children by using problem solving, communication and general functioning subscales of FAD, we found statistical lower scores in assault (bodily injury) group than in theft, sexual assault, murder groups and in drug trafficker group than in murder group, also we found lower scores in drug trafficker group than in theft group for problem solving and general functioning sub-scales, also there were lower scores in bodily injury assault group than in robbery, theft groups and in drug trafficker than in theft group for problem solving subscale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The communication and problem solving sub-scales of FAD are firstly impaired scales for the incarcerated children. We mention these sub-scales are found with unplanned and less serious crimes and commented those as cry for help of the children.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Sami Ulus Child Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teker
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey - drsedatopcu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topçu
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevgi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Başkan
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Filiz Ş
authors.initials: FŞ
authors.lastname: Orhon
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulukol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011340:Problem Solving