Richard E. Tremblay, professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Montreal:
The more intense the help given by the juvenile justice system, the greater was its negative impact.
Our findings take on even greater importance given that the juvenile justice system in the province of Quebec has the reputation of being among the best.
Most countries spend considerable financial resources to fund programs and institutions that group deviant youths together in order to help them. The problem is that delinquent behavior is contagious, especially among adolescents.
Putting deviant adolescents together creates a culture of deviance, which increases the likelihood of continued criminal behavior.