NCJ Number
51022
Date Published
1974
Length
158 pages
Annotation
FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING WAS GIVEN TO 30 JUVENILES AND FAMILIES IMMEDIATELY AFTER ARREST. FOLLOWUP AT 6 MONTHS SHOWED FEW HAD BEEN REARRESTED, FEW HAD BEEN IN DETENTION, AND FEW WERE ON PROBATION.
Abstract
UNDER THE THEORY THAT ARREST OR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE POLICE IS A FAMILY CRISIS AND THAT SKILLED INTERVENTION CAN MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT AT THIS POINT, 30 JUVENILES ARRESTED BY THE SAN FERNANDO, CALIF., POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR STATUS OFFENSES, MISDEMEANORS, OR LESS SERIOUS FELONIES WERE GIVEN FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING. CONTROLS WERE 30 JUVENILES ARRESTED BY THE DEPARTMENT, MATCHED FOR AGE, OFFENSE, AND ETHNIC GROUP. SUBJECTS WERE MOSTLY LOWER MIDDLE CLASS AND REPRESENTED BLACKS, SPANISH AMERICANS, AND CAUCASIANS. THE COUNSELING TOOK PLACE IN FEBRUARY, 1973; THE FOLLOWUP 6 MONTHS LATER. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PARENTS RESISTED THE COUNSELING, MANY EXPRESSING THE OPINION THAT THE TROUBLE WAS THE CHILD'S, NOT THE PARENTS'. HOWEVER, THE COUNSELOR EMPHASIZED THAT THE DOOR WAS OPEN ANY TIME FUTURE PROBLEMS AROSE AND MANY FAMILIES TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS. THE IMPACT WAS GREATEST ON THE JUVENILES. AT 6 MONTHS FEW HAD BEEN REARRESTED, FEW WERE ON PROBATION, AND FEW HAD SPENT TIME IN A JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY. THESE DIFFERENCES WERE SIGNIFICANT. USING COST DATA FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIF., WHICH HAS DETAILED JUVENILE COST ANALYSIS FIGURES, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT POLICE AND COURTS HAD SPENT 2.11 TIMES MORE ON THE TRADITIONAL GROUP AS ON THE CRISIS INTERVENTION GROUP. IT IS URGED THAT THIS APPROACH BE EXPANDED AND THAT LARGER STUDIES BE CONDUCTED WITH MORE VARIED POPULATIONS. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. THE COUNSELING APPROACH IS OUTLINED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)