NCJ Number
225622
Journal
Residential Treatment for Children & Youth Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 227-247
Date Published
November 2008
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study demonstrates the statistically significant three-year effectiveness of an adventure-based behavior management program (BMtA) with juvenile re-arrest rates compared to other outdoor programs.
Abstract
Findings in this pilot study demonstrate the promise of the BMtA program, add clarity concerning the range and types of adventure therapy programs and treatment differences, and highlight the importance of understanding intervention/treatment fidelity in adventure therapy programs, particularly regarding program settings and key clinical factors. The BMtA participants experienced significantly less rates of re-arrest at 1, 2, and 3 years following release when compared to Outdoor Therapeutic Programs (OTP) and Youth Development Center (YDC) programs. There were also statistically significant differences between time from release until re-arrest for the BMtA program and the OTP and YDC programs. These differences occurred despite the fact that participants in BMtA program possessed greater risk factors of being younger, spending less time in treatment and possessing more violent arrests than the juveniles to which they were compared. Additionally, this pilot study provides insight into the issues of semantic confusion, program differences, and the need for clearer and more accurate program fidelity surrounding the adventure therapy. Data were collected using the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice database containing all youth committed to the State by juvenile courts between July 1989 and May 2002 (N = 15, 311). Tables, figure, and references