Cette étude vise à décrire les différences de genre quant aux données sociodémographiques et aux troubles psychiatriques dans la population des jeunes placés dans le centre éducatif fermé de Valmont (Lausanne), afin d’établir un programme de prise en charge adapté aux besoins des adolescents.

Notre échantillon est composé de 43 adolescents délinquants placés à Valmont. Les participants ont répondu à un entretien structuré investiguant la situation économique et sociodémographique, ainsi que la présence de troubles psychiatriques (« Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime version »).

Près de deux tiers des jeunes sont en rupture scolaire. Les filles présentent aussi bien des troubles externalisés qu’internalisés, alors que les garçons présentent plus exclusivement des troubles externalisés. Plus spécifiquement, les filles présentent davantage de trouble de l’anxiété généralisé et de stress post-traumatique que les garçons. Les garçons, quant à eux, présentent une consommation de substances plus problématique.

Au vu des différences de genre quant aux troubles psychiatriques, un questionnement sur la spécificité des programmes d’intervention est indispensable. Un programme thérapeutique adéquat devrait cibler les besoins caractéristiques des adolescents délinquants, en prenant en considération les différences de genre qui existent concernant l’implication dans la délinquance et les troubles psychiatriques.

In Switzerland, adolescents are responsible for many crimes. In 2014, almost 13,000 juvenile offenders were convicted by the courts (mainly convicted under the Swiss Criminal Code and Narcotics Act Consumption). Although a decrease trend was observed for 2008, these delinquent behaviors remain a concern for public health, politics and educational authorities. In addition to repressive measures, the implementation of an effective and appropriate treatment program appears necessary. Indeed, the admission to an educational center is a “time-window” useful to establish short and specific interventions (rehabilitation programs, psychological treatment and educational measures). In order to propose interventions and appropriate educational measures, it is essential to know the situation of juvenile offenders. The aim of the present study is to describe adolescents admitted in an educational center for youth delinquents. The study highlighted gender-specific differences in sociodemographic data and psychiatric disorders.

The sample is composed of 43 delinquent adolescents with 32.6% of girls and 67.4% of boys. During a structured interview, each youth answered about social-economic, and sociodemographic questions. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the French version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime version (K-SAD-PL).

The results indicated that almost two-third of youths (61%) had dropped out of school. Additionally, results revealed that there are not gender differences in sociodemographic data. Furthermore, whereas girls presented a mix of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders, boys where more exclusively externalizing psychiatric disorders. More specifically, girls showed a significantly higher level of anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder than boys. Girls showed a higher risk for suicide. In contrast, boys used more illegal substances than girls (mostly cannabis). Overall, in 40% of adolescents, illegal substances use started before the age of 14 years.

This study highlighted gender differences in psychiatric disorders related to delinquent behaviors. Indeed, girls showed more complex psychiatric disorders than boys. Thus, a therapeutic program should target gender-specific needs of young offenders, focusing on the most relevant aspects of psychiatric disorder such as internalizing problems in girls.