NCJ Number
74925
Journal
COMMUNITY HOME SCHOOLS GAZETTE Volume: 72 Issue: 8 Dated: (November 1978) Pages: 325-335
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated a residential treatment program for boys in Northern Ireland which tried to modify delinquent attitudes through relationships offered by the staff.
Abstract
Most researchers have found that, based on recidivism rates, reseidential treatment is usually ineffective in preventing delinquency. However, these studies have failed to distinguish among differing types of residential programs and have relied solely on recidivism rates as a measurement, ignoring the influence of posttreatment support or family problems. The school examined in this project proposes to alter antisocial or criminal conduct by placing boys in a small group sitution where the staff can exert good moral and social influences. Boys are placed in four house units according to their needs. House A receives physically mature boys of average or above intelligence who are not overly difficult to handle. House B is for aggressive, physically mature boys with normal or high intelligence who require a highly structured environment. Immature and socially inadequate boys with lower intellignece and poor physical abilities are placed in House C, while a similar population with average intelligence are sent to House D. House A provides individual and group activities, but House B emphasizes group activities. House C focuses on individual relaionships and free expression, while House D has more structure, organization, and group programs than House C. The school's effectiveness was measured by an attitude test, the Asocial Index of the Jesness Inventory, which was administered to the delinquent groups on two occasions separated by 5 months to see if scores shifted after treatment. A nondelinquent control group was tested to validate the inventory for use in Northern Ireland. The Barret-Lennard relationships inventory was administered to differentiate the degrees of relationships with the staff perceived by the boys in each house. Analysis of the attitude questionnaires indicated that only House A had been able to consistently improve delinquent attitudes. Since the association between age, intelligence, length of stay, and attitude scores remained constant or decreased, the relationships of the staff probably contributed most to attitude change. This House also had the lowest abscounding rate. House B with the highest abscounding rate exhibited a slightly negative effect on attitudes and offered the lowest degree of relationships. The success of one treatment approach supports the claim that different types of residential interventions produce different outcomes. tables and a bibliography of 16 citations are included.