The Role Of Executive Functioning And Intellectual Capacity In Criminal Behaviour : A Comparative Analysis Of Violent And Non-Violent Juvenile Offenders

Abstract

Juvenile offending has been consistently linked to executive dysfunction and an inability to inhibit responses in demanding situations. Over the past several years, research has explored the relationship between crime, intellectual capacity, and brain dysfunctions. Brain studies indicate that the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in executive functioning, with its development influencing behavioral regulation, including antisocial behavior changes. Dysfunction in the brain part namely prefrontal cortex can lead to executive dysfunction, which may, in turn, serve as a pathway to violence. Executive control activities such as understanding the purpose of actions, planning, setting specific goals, and executing them effectively. Similarly, intellectual capacity enables individuals to think, act, and regulate behavior in an appropriate manner, including the ability to delay or inhibit responses based on the evaluation of multiple factors.

The purpose of this study is to address gaps in the research by examining differences in intellectual capacity and executive functioning between violent offenders (VO) and non-violent offenders (NVO). While previous studies have investigated executive dysfunction in offenders, limited research has explicitly compared cognitive flexibility and response inhibition across violent and non-violent groups. This study used Raven’s Progressive Matrices to assess intellectual capacity, the Stroop Test to measure response inhibition and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to evaluate executive functioning.

Findings reveal a significant difference in intellectual capacity, with violent offenders scoring significantly higher than non-violent offenders (t = 2.513, p = .029). However, no significant differences were observed in executive functioning measures, including cognitive inhibition (Stroop Test) and cognitive flexibility (WCST), suggesting that deficits in these domains are not exclusive to violent offenders. These results challenge the assumption that executive dysfunction alone differentiates violent from non-violent offenders. The study also elucidates the relationship between intelligence and delinquent behaviour.