NCJ Number
217803
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 131-146
Date Published
February 2007
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined how positive career orientation can prevent adolescents from engaging in or escalating problem behavior.
Abstract
The results indicate substantial support for the hypothesis that positive career orientation inhibits the development of problem behavior during adolescence. Adolescent delinquency is a major national concern in today’s society. However, it appears that a positive career orientation, characterized by valuing work as a means of self-fulfillment and seeing oneself as capable of pursuing one’s occupational goals, can be viewed as a potential predictor of successful adjustment and disengagement from deviant behavior. This study hypothesized that problem behavior in adolescents might be prevented or reduced by a combination of positive school and work attitudes that comprise what is called a positive career orientation. The study consisted of utilizing a short-term longitudinal design with two waves of data collection separated by a 1-year interval. Participants in the study were a combined sample of junior/senior school students in a rural area of the Northeastern United States. Table, figures, and references