NCJ Number
56572
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1979) Pages: 155-165
Date Published
1979
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A 2-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF 305 JUVENILES IN AN INTENSIVE FAMILY THERAPY PROGRAM SHOWED THAT THE TREATMENT GROUP HAD A HIGHER RECIDIVISM RATE THAN CONTROLS, SUGGESTING THAT COUNSELING MAY NOT BE A VIABLE TREATMENT METHOD.
Abstract
THE JUVENILE SERVICES PROJECT OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO (CANADA) WAS DESIGNED TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM RATES OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN REPEATED TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE. SINCE EARLIER STUDIES HAD SHOWN THAT MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF ALL FIRST OFFENDERS NEVER HAVE A REPEATED POLICE CONTACT, THIS STUDY CONCENTRATED ON JUVENILES WITH ONE OR MORE POLICE OCCURRENCE REPORTS ON FILE. ALL SUBJECTS WERE UNDER AGE 14, WITH A MEAN 11.5 YEARS FOR BOYS AND 12.5 YEARS FOR GIRLS. ALL WERE LIVING WITH THEIR OWN FAMILIES. SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO TREATMENT OR CONTROL GROUPS. A FAMILY SERVICES WORKER CALLED ON THE FAMILIES OF THE TREATMENT GROUP AND OFFERED CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING, A SERVICE ACCEPTED BY 70 OF THE 154 FAMILIES. TREATMENT LASTED FOR 6 SESSIONS OR 6 MONTHS. CONTROLS WERE PROCESSED WITHOUT COUNSELING. DURING FOLLOW-UP, 62 PERCENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 55 PERCENT OF THE CONTROLS HAD EXPERIENCED FURTHER POLICE CONTACT. IN ADDITION, 36 PERCENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SIBLINGS AND 33 PERCENT OF CONTROL SIBLINGS HAD HAD POLICE CONTACT. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACCEPTING AND NONACCEPTING FAMILIES; SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENSES WAS SIMILAR. BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE LARGE NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTS WHICH SHOW NO SIGNIFICANT RESULTS. THE FIELD IS SO NEW THAT MANY EFFORTS UNDOUBTEDLY WILL LEAD DOWN BLIND ALLEYS. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS NOT 'TREATABLE', AND THEREFORE THE BEST POLICY MAY BE TO DO NOTHING. TABLES GIVE STUDY DATA. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)