COPING WITH AUTHORITY - SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR THE COMPLEX OFFENDER

• NCJ Number: 69177
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1980) Pages: 147-159
• Author(s): K GOLDEN; C T TWENTYMAN; M JENSEN; J KARAN; J D KLOSS
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-03-02-01; 76-11B-SC-2618-6
• Sponsoring Agency: Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice; Institute for Experimental Psychiatry
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS TWO-PART STUDY FIRST IDENTIFIED SITUATIONS WHICH A GROUP OF 20 PROBATIONERS FOUND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH PROBATION OFFICERS, THEN FOUND THAT ROLE PLAYING COULD HELP IMPROVE SKILLS IN THESE AREAS.

Abstract

THE 20 PROBATIONER REPORTED THAT ASKING PROBATION OFFICERS FOR HELP AND DEALING WITH CRITICISM FROM PROBATION OFFICERS CAUSED THEM GREAT DIFFICULTY. A TOTAL OF 16 PROBATIONERS WERE TRAINED IN TECHNIQUES TO HANDLE PROBATION OFFICER-JUSTIFICATION AND PROBATION OFFICER-PETITIONING SITUATIONS. ALTHOUGH SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TEST AND CONTROL GROUPS, EXPOSURE TO THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TRAINING WAS ROTATED TO GIVE ALL PARTICIPANTS SOME TREATMENT BENEFIT. THE TRAINING TECHNIQUES, WHICH INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS AND ROLE PLAYING, HELPED THE PROBATIONERS TO HANDLE DEALINGS WITH THEIR PROBATION OFFICERS MORE EFFECTIVELY. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THESE LEARNED BEHAVIORS CARRIED OVER TO OTHER AUTHORITY FIGURES, BUT IT IS SUGGESTED THAT LEARNING TO COPE WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THESE PERSONS TO COPE WITH EMPLOYERS AND OTHERS. GRAPHS PRESENT THE STUDY DATA. NINE REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.