NCJ Number
133868
Date Published
1989
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This pamphlet presents the perspectives of a sample of at-risk youth concerning their experiences with in-school remedial programs and out-of-school youth service corps. The group consisted of leavers and persisters; the discussion recorded here was led by a psychologist.
Abstract
The discussion revealed that persisters and leavers have similar misgivings and frustrations with these types of programs. Their complaints center on tedium, disappointment with the program, problems with staff or peers, or general dissatisfaction. While everyone complains, persisters seem to complain the loudest. Most persisters considered leaving at some point in the program. They stayed after considering the advantages and drawbacks of continuing in the program; the reasons persisters decided to stay fall into several categories including social bonds, parental and staff influence, determination, looking toward the future, and satisfaction with the program. Leavers talked about the positive aspects of the programs; most leavers indicated their dissatisfaction to staff members well before their departure. Youth's reasons for leaving can be categorized as reasons extrinsic to a program and program-related reasons that are usually very personal. This discussion indicated that youth are especially vulnerable to attrition during the initial phase of program participation, that monetary rewards and positive learning experiences are the most frequently cited incentives to persist, and that leavers may actually provide a positive role for those who remain.