NCJ Number
7499
Date Published
1965
Length
225 pages
Annotation
SIX-YEAR STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL WORK SERVICES ON HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WHOSE BEHAVIOR AND PAST PERFORMANCE AT SCHOOL IDENTIFIED THEM AS BEING POTENTIALLY DEVIANT.
Abstract
FOUR HUNDRED GIRLS WERE SELECTED FROM A VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY. A RANDOM SAMPLE OF TWO HUNDRED WAS DESIGNATED A CONTROL GROUP. THE OTHER GIRLS WERE REFERRED TO YOUTH CONSULTATION SERVICE, A NON-SECTARIAN, VOLUNTARY SOCIAL AGENCY, WHOSE PROFESSIONAL STAFF PROVIDED INDIVIDUAL CASEWORK AND GROUP THERAPY. AFTER FOLLOWING THE GIRLS THROUGH THEIR SCHOOL CAREERS, THE AUTHORS EVALUATED THE GIRLS' PROGRESS AND THE PROGRAM OF SERVICES AND RESEARCH. THE EXPERIMENT PROVED THAT POTENTIALLY DELINQUENT GIRLS COULD BE IDENTIFIED AND ENGAGED IN PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INTERRUPT THEIR DEVIANT CAREERS AND THAT THEY WERE MORE RESPONSIVE TO GROUP WORK TECHNIQUES THAN TO INDIVIDUAL CASEWORK APPROACHES. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE, HOWEVER, THAT THE SERVICES HAD LIMITED SUCCESS IN ACTUALLY ABATING THE DELINQUENCY. QUESTIONS ARE RAISED ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF SOCIAL CASE WORK AS AN EXCLUSIVE APPROACH TO THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THIS STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)