ATTITUDINAL EFFECTS OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN YOUNG CRIMINAL OFFENDERS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS

• NCJ Number: 35310
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1973) Pages: 417-422
• Author(s): D A ANDREWS; J G YOUNG; J S WORMITH; C A SEARLE; M KOURI
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Clinical Psychology Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS FOR OFFENDER COUNSELING BY MEASURING ATTITUDE CHANGES IN OFFENDERS AFTER COUNSELING AND COMPARING THEIR ATTITUDE CHANGES TO A CONTROL GROUP.

Abstract

PRE- AND POST- MEASURES OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW AND LAW VIOLATIONS WERE TAKEN ON 10 YOUNG INCARCERATED OFFENDERS AND 10 UNDERGRADUATE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO PARTICIPATED TOGETHER IN SHORT-TERM STRUCTURED GROUP COUNSELING. MEASURES WERE ALSO TAKEN ON CONTROL INCARCERATED OFFENDERS AND CONTROL VOLUNTEERS. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT PRETREATMENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OFFENDERS AND THE VOLUNTEERS ON IDENTIFICATION WITH CRIMINAL OTHERS, TOLERANCE FOR LAW VIOLATIONS, RESPECT FOR THE LAW AND JUDICIAL PROCESS AND AWARENESS OF LIMITED OPPORTUNITY. NO PRETREATMENT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND ON VALUE OF EDUCATION AND VALUE OF EMPLOYMENT. WHILE CONTROL OFFENDERS SHOWED INCREASED IDENTIFICATION WITH CRIMINAL OTHERS AND INCREASED TOLERANCE FOR LAW VIOLATIONS, THE EXPERIMENTAL PARTICIPATING OFFENDERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES ON IDENTIFICATION AND NO CHANGE ON THE TOLERANCE MEASURE. THE CONTROL OFFENDERS DEVALUED EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT WHILE THE OFFENDERS WHO HAD CONTACT WITH THE VOLUNTEERS DID NOT. TREATMENT EFFECTS WERE MINIMAL AMONG THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)