EFFECTS OF IN-SERVICE COUNSELOR TRAINING ON THE COUNSELING ABILITY OF JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS

• NCJ Number: 17522
• Author(s): R E SHARP
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 145 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

Annotation

STUDY TO DETERMINE IF COUNSELING BY TRAINED OFFICERS WOULD BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN ACCOMPLISHING THE GOALS OF PROBATION THAN INTENSIVE SUPERVISION OR REGULAR SUPERVISION BY UNTRAINED OFFICERS.

Abstract

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN TWELVE COUNTIES IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 1973. ONE JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER WITH NO TRAINING IN COUNSELING AND SIX MALE DELINQUENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM EACH COUNTY. EACH OFFICER AND HIS PROBATIONERS WERE THEN RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. OFFICERS IN THE FIRST EXPERIMENTAL CONDITION RECEIVED 90 HOURS OF IN-SERVICE COUNSELOR TRAINING, WHILE THE OTHER TWO OFFICERS RECEIVED NONE. THE IN-SERVICE COUNSELOR TRAINING PROGRAM PRESENTED THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COUNSELING. BASIC COUNSELING THEORIES AND TECHNIQUES WERE PRESENTED THROUGH LECTURES, AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, ROLE PLAYING SESSIONS AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS. THE OFFICERS IN THE FIRST CONDITION COUNSELED EACH DELINQUENT FOR ONE-HALF HOUR A WEEK OVER A TWENTY WEEK PERIOD. OFFICERS IN THE SECOND EXPERIMENTAL CONDITION, INTENSIVE SUPERVISION, MET WITH EACH DELINQUENT FOR ONE-HALF HOUR A WEEK OVER THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME. THE OFFICERS IN THE THIRD EXPERIMENTAL CONDITION, REGULAR SUPERVISION, MET WITH EACH DELINQUENT FOR TEN MINUTES EVERY TWO WEEKS OVER THE TWENTY WEEK PERIOD. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT ON THE COUNSELING ABILITY OF THE JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER, THE RECIDIVISM RATE, SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT, PROBATION BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEPTION OF THERAPEUTIC CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED BY JUVENILE PROBATIONERS WERE INVESTIGATED. THE MAIN FINDING WAS THAT A 90-HOUR COUNSELOR TRAINING PROGRAM DID NOT INCREASE THE COUNSELING ABILITY OF PROBATION OFFICERS AS MEASURED IN THIS STUDY. THE MOST INTERESTING OBSERVATION WAS THAT THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED A DECREASE IN SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT DURING THE TREATMENT PROGRAM. THE RESEARCHER POINTS OUT THAT THIS MAY SUGGEST THAT INTERVENTION BY THE PROBATION OFFICER MAY HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON DELINQUENTS OR THAT THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT WAS TOO WELL ESTABLISHED TO BE CHANGED BY THE PROBATION OFFICER. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS RESUMES OF THE PROBATION OFFICERS, A COURSE OUTLINE OF THE IN-SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM, THE RECIDIVISM INDEX, AND SUMMARIES OF ANALYSIS FOR THE TESTS USED TO MEASURE SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT, PROBATION BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEPTION OF THERAPEUTIC CONDITIONS. A NINE-PAGE LIST OF REFERENCES IS ALSO INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)