AFFECTING ATTITUDES OF EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH PARTICIPATORY LEARNING

• NCJ Number: 45889
• Author(s): P H HERSCH
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 233 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

AN EVALUATION IS PROVIDED OF THE EFFECT OF A CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORIENTATION PROGRAM ON THE ATTITUDES OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, LAW AND JUSTICE, PUNISHMENT, AND SYSTEM PERSONNEL.

Abstract

A SAMPLE OF 199 CAMBRIDGE, MASS., EIGHTH GRADERS WERE INTRODUCED TO THE CONCEPT OF LAW FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL ORDER AND WERE PROVIDED WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND LAW. THEY ALSO PARTICPATED IN THE JUDICIAL PROCESS AS JURORS, OBSERVING THE VARIOUS ACTORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. A MATCHED SAMPLE OF 93 CONTROLS RECEIVED NO SUCH ORIENTATION. EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP STUDY. ALL WERE TESTED FOR THEIR ATTITUDES PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE PROGRAM AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ITS COMPLETION. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WERE ALSO COLLECTED. ASSORTED DIFFERENCES WERE NOTED BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS, CONTROLS AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PROGRAM'S SHORT- AND LONG-RANGE EFFECT ON STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW, JUSTICE, PUNISHMENT, THE COURT, PROBATION OFFICERS, JUDGES, OFFENDERS, AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM AFFECTED STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW IMMEDIATELY AFTER PARTICIPATION, NO LONG-RANGE EFFECTS WERE NOTED. WHILE LONG-RANGE EFFECTS ON THE STUDENT ASSESSMENTS OF THE POTENCY OF THE LAW WERE FOUND, THIS EFFECT WAS DIFFERENT FOR THE GIRLS THAN FOR THE BOYS. BOTH THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-RANGE EFFECT ON THE PARTICIPATING GIRLS WAS A MODERATION OF THE NEGATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENCY OF THE LAW SHOWN BY THE CONTROL GIRLS. THOUGH THE PARTICIPATING BOYS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM, ASSESSED THE LAW AS LESS POWERFUL THAN DID THE CONTROL BOYS, THE LONG-RANGE EFFECT WAS THE SAME FOR BOTH THE PARTICIPATING MALE AND FEMALE GROUPS. THEORIES OF ATTITUDE CHANGE, THE ATTITUDES OF YOUTH TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND OTHER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE THESE ATTITUDES ARE DISCUSSED. BOTH THE ORIENTATION PROGRAM AND THE EVALUATION FORMAT ARE OUTLINED. THE QUESTIONNAIRE, TREND-ANALYSIS TABLES, AND SELECTED ORIENTATION MATERIALS ARE APPENDED. TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)