There are several levels of scale interpretation ranging from viewing a test as a self-report to interpreting scale elevations and inter-relationships.

The following table is a starting point for interpreting Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scale scores.

A problem is not identified until a scale score is at the 70th percentile or higher. Elevated scale scores refer to percentile scores that are at or above the 70th percentile. Severe problems are identified by scale scores at or above the 90th percentile. Severe problems represent the highest 11 percent of juveniles evaluated with the Juvenile Detention Exam.

Truthfulness Scale: measures how truthful the juvenile was while completing the test. It identifies guarded and defensive youth who attempt to minimize their problems or attempt to "fake good." Truthfulness Scale scores at or below the 89th percentile mean that all Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scale scores are accurate. Scale scores in the Problem Risk (70 to 89th percentile) range are accurate because they have been Truth-Corrected. This Truth-Correction procedure is similar to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) K-scale methodology. Truthfulness Scale scores at or above the 90th percentile means that all Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scales are inaccurate (distorted or invalid) because the juvenile was in denial, overly guarded, minimized problems, attempted to "fake good," or read things into test items that aren’t there. Juveniles with reading impairments might also score in the 90 to 100th percentile range.

If not consciously deceptive, juveniles with elevated Truthfulness Scale scores fail to understand test items (reading impairment), are resistant and uncooperative or have a need to appear in a good light. The Truthfulness Scale is particularly important because it shows whether-or-not the juvenile answered Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) test items honestly. Truthfulness Scale scores at or below the 89th percentile indicate that all other Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scale scores are accurate. One of the first things to check when reviewing a Juvenile Detention Exam report is the Truthfulness Scale score.

Violence (Lethality) Scale: identifies the juveniles that are a danger to themselves and others. Violence has been defined as "the expression of hostility and rage through physical force." Violence is aggression in its most extreme and unacceptable form. Elevated (70th percentile and higher scorers can be sensitive to perceived criticism, demanding, and insightless about how they express anger and hostility. Severe problem scorers (90th percentile and higher) should not be ignored as they are a danger to themselves and others.

A particularly unstable and perilous situation involves an elevated (70th percentile and higher) Violence Scale score with elevated Antisocial, Alcohol or Drugs Scale scores. Substance (alcohol and/or drugs) abuse and antisocial attitudes can exacerbate violence. The higher these scale scores the worse the prognosis. And, the more of these scales that are elevated with the Violence Scale, the worse the prognosis.

A severe (90th percentile and higher) problem Violence Scale score is a malignant sign with or without other scale elevation and is descriptive of a dangerous person. The Violence Scale score can be interpreted independently or in combination with other Juvenile Detention Exam scale scores.

Antisocial Scale: measures antisocial attitudes. "Antisocial" is defined as "opposed to society or existing social organizations and moral codes." Antisocial behavior refers to aggressive, impulsive, and sometimes violent actions that flout social and ethical codes such as laws, property rights, etc. This antisocial behavior pattern often begins in early adolescence as a conduct disorder involving lying, cheating, stealing, fighting, cruelty, truancy, vandalism, substance abuse, etc. Elevated Antisocial Scale scores are often associated with non-internalization of recognized conventions. Many high scorers manifest a seeming inability to profit from experience.

An elevated Antisocial Scale score in conjunction with an elevated Alcohol, Drugs, or Violence Scale score would be a malignant sign. Elevated Alcohol and Drugs Scale scores in conjunction with an elevated Antisocial Scale score is particularly perilous and alarming because substance (alcohol and/or illicit drug) abuse can intensify and further increase antisocial thinking. Severe or (90th percentile and higher) Antisocial Scale and Violence Scale scores can externalize or focus much of the youth’s hostility, angst and heinous intentions on society, the government and others. In summary, the Antisocial Scale can be interpreted independently or in combination with other Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scales.

Alcohol Scale: measures alcohol use and the severity of abuse. Alcohol refers to beer, wine and other liquors. An elevated (70 to 89th percentile) Alcohol Scale score is indicative of an alcohol problem in its early stages. An Alcohol Scale score in the severe problem (90 to 100th percentile) range identifies established and serious drinking problems.

Several alcohol admission items are printed in the "significant items" section of the Juvenile Detention Exam on page 3 of the report. The Multiple Choice items also are printed on page 3 of the report (#98 to 109) present the juvenile’s answers, with all their biases. These juvenile answers allow comparison of the juvenile’s subjective opinions with empirically based objective findings. Many of these multiple choice items refer to juvenile drinking and drug usage.

There are two "alcohol recovering" items (#53 and #102) that give the juveniles an opportunity to clarify whether-or-not they are a "recovering alcoholic." This is an important area of inquiry, particularly when the juvenile has an elevated (70th percentile and higher) Alcohol Scale score.

In detention, court, probation and treatment settings, the juvenile’s Alcohol Scale score helps staff work through juvenile denial. Most juveniles accept the objective and standardized Alcohol Scale score as accurate. This is especially true when it is explained that elevated scores do not occur by chance. And Alcohol Scale scores are based upon thousands of juveniles Alcohol Scale scores.

An elevated Alcohol Scale score in conjunction with other (Violence, Antisocial and Drugs) elevated Juvenile Detention Exam Scale scores is noteworthy because alcohol can magnify or act as a triggering device for more intense violent, antisocial and substance abuse behavior.

As the number of elevated scale scores increases the prognosis decreases. And the higher the scales elevations the worse the risk becomes.

When both the Alcohol Scale and the Drugs Scales are elevated, the higher score represents the juvenile’s substance of choice. When both scale scores are in the severe problem range explore polysubstance abuse. The Alcohol Scale can also be interpreted independently.

Drugs Scale: measures drug use and severity of drug abuse. Drugs refer to illicit drugs like marijuana, cocaine, crack, amphetamines, ice, ecstasy, barbiturates, heroin, etc. An elevated (70 to 89th percentile) Drugs Scale score is indicative of a drug problem in its early stages. A Drugs Scale score in the severe problem (90 to 100th percentile) range identifies serious and established drug problems.

Similar to the Alcohol Scale, a history (court, prior arrests, treatment, etc.) of drug-related problems could result in an abstainer (drug history but not currently using or abusing drugs) attaining a score above zero but in the low risk range. Precautions have been built into the Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) for correctly identifying "recovering" drug abusers.

Several drug admission items are printed in the "significant items" section of the Juvenile Detention Exam on page 3 of the report. Multiple Choice items (#98 to 109) also are printed on page 3 of the report. These Multiple Choice answers represent the juvenile’s answers, with all their biases. Multiple choice answers allow comparison of the juvenile’s subjective opinions with empirically based objective findings.

There are two "drug recovering" items (#72 and #102) that give the juveniles an opportunity to clarify whether-or-not they are a "recovering drug abuser." This is an important area of inquiry, particularly when the juvenile has an elevated (70th percentile and higher) Drugs Scale score.

In detention, court, probation, and treatment settings, the juvenile’s Drugs Scale score helps staff work through juvenile denial. Most juveniles accept the objective and standardized Drugs Scale score as accurate. This is especially true when it is explained that elevated scores do not occur by chance. And Drugs Scale scores are based upon thousands of juveniles Drugs Scale scores.

An elevated Drugs Scale score in conjunction with other (Violence, Antisocial and Alcohol Scale) elevated Juvenile Detention Exam Scale (JDE) scores is a malignant sign. Drug abuse can exacerbate or magnify violent and antisocial thinking and polysubstance abuse behavior. The higher these multi-scale scores the worse the prognosis. And the more elevated scales that are involved the worse the risk.

When both the Drugs Scale and the Alcohol Scales are elevated, the higher score represents the juvenile’s substance of choice. When both the Drugs Scale and the Alcohol Scale are in the severe problem range explore polysubstance abuse. The Drugs Scale can also be interpreted independently.

There are several levels of Juvenile Detention Exam (JDE) scale interpretation ranging from viewing the test as a self-report to interpreting scale elevation ranging from viewing the test as a self-report to interpreting scale elevations and scale relationships. Due in part to space and time limitation we shall conclude this Juvenile Detention Exam scale interpretation.