EFFECTS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING ON PREDELINQUENT AND MISDEMEANOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 30702
• Journal: Juvenile Justice Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1975) Pages: 7-18
• Author(s): J G STRATTON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT ON A STUDY WHICH INVESTIGATED WHETHER FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION SHORTLY AFTER INITIAL POLICE CONTACT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DEALING WITH JUVENILE STATUS AND JUVENILE MISDEMEANOR OFFENDERS.

Abstract

AT THE POINT WHEN THE MINOR WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SAN FERNANDO POLICE THE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL (FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION) OR CONTROL (TRADITIONAL) GROUPS. THE TRADITIONAL METHODS INCLUDE INFORMAL COUNSELING, COUNSELING WITH PARENTS, FILING OF A JUVENILE COURT PETITION, OR IMMEDIATE DETENTION. THIRTY SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EACH GROUP. AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS, THE STUDY COMPARED THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL AND FAMILY CRISIS TREATMENT APPROACHES WITH REGARD TO NUMBER OF DAYS SPENT IN DETENTION, RECIDIVISM RATES, AND COST EFFECTIVENESS. COST EFFECTIVENESS INDICES WERE DETERMINED FOR THE TWO GROUPS BY: (A) SUPERIOR COURTS COSTS, (B) COST FACTORS INVOLVED IN PROBATION SERVICES, AND (C) DETENTION COSTS. A SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE ATTITUDES AND FEELINGS OF PARENTS AND MINORS INVOLVED IN THE CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING APPROACH. THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DATA INDICATED THAT SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND AT THE .05 LEVEL. THESE WERE WITH REGARD TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REARRESTS, USE OF PROBATION DEPARTMENT SERVICES, AND NUMBER OF DAYS SPENT IN DETENTION AT JUVENILE HALL BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS. ALTHOUGH A STATISTICAL TEST WAS NOT PERFORMED ON COST COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, A LARGE DIFFERENCE IN COST OUTLAYS FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES REQUIRED BY THE TRADITIONAL GROUP FROM THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT AND THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT WAS FOUND. IN AN EXAMINATION OF THE PARENT AND CHILD SURVEY, THE PARENT AND CHILD RESPONSES CONCERNING THE IDEA OF HAVING A COUNSELOR IN THE POLICE STATION, FEELINGS REGARDING THE COUNSELOR, VALUE OF THE COUNSELING, THE COUNSELING APPROACH, AND THE RESULTS OF THE COUNSELING WERE EXTREMELY FAVORABLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)