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EXPERIMENT IN DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND CONTROL

NCJ Number
37409
Author(s)
R POOLEY
Date Published
1971
Length
198 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT COVERS THE ACTIVITIES OF A THREE YEAR PROGRAM AIMED AT DEVELOPING AND DEFINING MEANS OF IDENTIFYING AND RE-ORIENTING DELINQUENT PRONE YOUTHS IN A HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY SETTING.
Abstract
THE PROJECT DESIGN FOLLOWS THE PRACTICE AS RESEARCH MODEL. USING UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS AS BIG BROTHER TYPE COUNSELORS TO WORK WITH DELINQUENT PRONE YOUTHS, EFFORTS WERE MADE TO EFFECT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN THE SUBJECT POPULATION. CONCURRENTLY, CERTAIN RESEARCH PROCEDURES WERE EMPLOYED WHICH PRODUCED DATA RELEVANT TO THE PRACTICE ITSELF AND PROVIDED PROMISING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CURRICULUM OF TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN CORRECTIONS, REHABILITATION, AND EDUCATION. THE OBJECTIVES OF BOTH THE 'PRACTICE' AND 'RESEARCH' ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT MODEL WERE ADVANCED. THE DIAGNOSTIC AND EVALUATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNIQUES THAT WERE USED INCLUDED THE COMPUTER ANALYZED MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) AND THE MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF SELECTED MMPI DATA. THE INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDY METHOD WAS USED AND REPORTED AS WELL. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED WITHIN A CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT METHODOLOGY REFERRED TO AS DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT. THE GRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN SOME COUNSELING TECHNIQUES BASED ON THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, REALITY THERAPY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL. THE GRADUATE STUDENT COUNSELORS EXPERIMENTED WITH VARIOUS PROCEDURES. THESE COUNSELORS WERE TRAINED IN APPROPRIATE METHODS AND IN METHODS OF MARSHALING COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO FURTHER DELINQUENCY INTERVENTION OBJECTIVES. EVIDENCE EMERGED THAT THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY CAN BE A VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS PREPARING FOR CAREERS IN CORRECTIONS, VOCATIONAL COUNSELING, EDUCATION, OR COMMUNITY AGENCY WORK. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)