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EVALUATION OF THE CORA (COUNSELING OR REFERRAL ASSISTANCE) PROGRAM, JUNE 1973 - JUNE 1974

NCJ Number
19322
Author(s)
M REIDEL; T P THORNBERRY
Date Published
1974
Length
38 pages
Annotation
NON-RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY-BASED JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION CENTER DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO JUVENILES AND THEIR FAMILIES ON A SHORT TERM CRISIS INTERVENTION BASIS.
Abstract
THE DATA FOR THIS PROGRAM EVALUATION CAME FROM THREE SOURCES - THE CORA DATA SHEETS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH A SAMPLE OF CORA CLIENTS AND A CONTROL GROUP, AND THE CENTRAL FILES OF THE JUVENILE COURT OF PHILADELPHIA. COMPARED WERE THE RATES OF BOTH SELF-REPORTED AND OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY, AS WELL AS ATTITUDES TOWARD FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND SELF FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL AND THE TWO CONTROL GROUPS. IN ADDITION, THE EXPERIMENTAL (CORA) GROUP WAS DIVIDED INTO OPEN AND CLOSED CASES FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE COUNSELING EFFORTS DO HAVE SOME POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE JUVENILES TREATED, SINCE DATA ON CLOSED CASES WAS SOMEWHAT BETTER THAN THE OPEN CASES. NEITHER OPEN NOR CLOSED CASES HAD LOWER AMOUNTS OF RECORDED DELINQUENCY WHEN COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP, AND THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE AMOUNTS OF HIDDEN DELINQUENCY. THERE WERE ALSO FEW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WHEN THE CORA CLIENTS WERE COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP ON THE FAMILY ATTITUDE SCALE, ATTITUDES TOWARD EDUCATION, AND THE SELF-IMAGE SCALE.