NCJ Number
46430
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 207-220
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF 40 PROJECTS AIMED AT PREVENTING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE REVIEWED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAKING FUTURE PROJECTS MORE EFFECTIVE ARE OFFERED.
Abstract
THE PROJECTS REVIEWED INVOLVED ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PRESUMED CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY, USUALLY THROUGH GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL CASEWORK. THE YOUTHS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECTS GENERALLY WERE INNER-CITY, LOWER-CLASS OR WORKING-CLASS MALES, FREQUENTLY FROM MINORITY GROUPS. DUE TO SHORTCOMINGS OF RESEARCH DESIGNS, SUBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES, OR CONCERN WITH DEPENDENT VARIABLES OTHER THAN DELINQUENCY, MOST OF THE PROJECTS REVIEWED COULD NOT BE ASSESSED RELIABLY. THOSE PROJECTS WITH EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS AND OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR HAD NOT SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED DELINQUENCY. AMONG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING FUTURE PROGRAMS ARE THE SEPARATION OF IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION, ENRICHMENT OR ABANDONMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT APPROACH, DIVERSIFICATION OF EVALUATIVE MEASURES, AND GREATER SENSITIVITY TO THE RIGHTS OF JUVENILE SUBJECTS INVOLVED IN PROJECTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)