NCJ Number
37118
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Pages: 1976,P 35-38
Date Published
1976
Length
4 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON A STUDY WHICH INVESTIGATED THE DIFFERENTIAL OUTCOMES OF OFFENDERS WHO HAD HISTORIES OF DIFFERENT AGGRESSIVE LEVELS OF OFFENSE.
Abstract
THE PROGRAM UNDER STUDY IS AN INNER CITY, COMMUNITY BASED DELINQUENCY TREATMENT PROGRAM, DESIGNED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION. IT OFFERS THERAPEUTIC AID IN THE FORM OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL SERVICE, CONSISTING OF CLASSROOM AND TUTORIAL SESSIONS. THE SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY WERE 82 BLACK URBAN MALE DELINQUENTS, AGED 14 TO 19. EACH WAS SCORED FOR THE SINGLE MOST AGGRESSIVE ACT COMMITTED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER TREATMENT. AN ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS DONE TO DETERMINE WHETHER TREATMENT AFFECTED AGGRESSION LEVELS OF ANTISOCIAL ACTS. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE GROUP OF OFFENDERS, AS A WHOLE WERE LESS AGGRESSIVE DURING TREATMENT THAN BEFORE TREATMENT. AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE PROGRAM AGGRESSIVENESS INCREASED, BUT NOT TO ITS ORIGINAL LEVEL. THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE SAMPLE AS A WHOLE WAS 80.5%. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMS WITH POPULATIONS HETEROGENEOUS AS TO OFFENSE ARE EFFECTIVE NOT IN PREVENTING RECIDIVISM, BUT IN SIGNIFICANTLY LOWERING THE AGGRESSION OF OFFENSES FOR MOST TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.