Abstract

The early identification of children at risk for severe antisocial behavior remains a critical challenge for juvenile justice systems globally. While the Macdonald triad has been largely debunked as a predictive model, its individual components-particularly animal cruelty-remain significant markers of psychological distress and predictors of future interpersonal violence. This paper proposes the “Sankalp” model, a novel, tiered forensic framework tailored for India’s socio-legal landscape. It integrates three investigative lenses: forensic psychology to assess callous-unemotional traits and conduct disorder; forensic toxicology for non-invasive screening of peripheral serotonin (a validated biomarker for impulsive aggression); and digital forensics to analyze early patterns of cyberviolence and online radicalization. Global case studies from the US, EU, and Mexico are examined to extract best practices in interagency cooperation, empathy-focused intervention, and handling extreme environmental risk factors. The framework directly addresses challenges within the Indian context, including infrastructural gaps, cultural sensitivities around animal treatment, and the constitutional protection against self-incrimination under Article 20(3). It is designed to operate within the ethical and legal boundaries of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, emphasizing consent-based, rehabilitative support over punitive surveillance. The Sankalp model aims to shift the paradigm from reactive punishment to proactive, data-driven, and ethical intervention, preventing the escalation of at-risk youth towards more brutal crimes by addressing root causes at the biological, psychological, and social levels.

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