GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION - THEORY AND METHOD

• NCJ Number: 10242
• Author(s): C LARSEN
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-P-10031/2-01 (HEW)
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN OVERVIEW OF THE THEORY AND METHOD OF GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION AND AN EVALUATION OF ITS APPLICATION IN ONE SPECIFIC PROGRAM.

Abstract

THE THEORETICAL BASIS FOR GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION IS DISCUSSED WITH THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS AND AIMS OF THIS TREATMENT PROCEDURE. THE FUNCTIONING OF THE THERAPY SESSIONS IS THEN DISCUSSED. THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOCUMENT CONTAINS AN EVALUATIVE SUMMARY OF A PROGRAM FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS, WHICH UTILIZED THE GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION TECHNIQUE AS THE CORE TREATMENT METHOD. THIS METHOD WAS FOUND TO BE NO MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHER CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF DEALING WITH INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTHS. YOUTHS WHO HAVE PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES OR WHO APPEAR DEPRESSED OR OVERLY ANXIOUS SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION. YOUTHS WHO HAVE DELINQUENT RECORDS INDICATIVE OF SOCIOPATHIC TENDENCIES APPEAR TO BE DOUBTFUL RISKS. AS THE THEORY INDICATED, THOSE YOUTHS WITH BASICALLY INTACT EGO ARE THE ONES MOST LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM THIS METHOD. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)