NCJ Number
46095
Date Published
1971
Length
12 pages
Annotation
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DELINQUENT GIRLS REFERRED TO A DAY TREATMENT CENTER BECAUSE THEY SEEM HEADED FOR CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY COMMITMENT ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
IN 1972 DAY TREATMENT CENTER CALLED GUIDE WAS ESTABLISHED IN A PRIVATE HOME IN A MIDDLE CLASS RESIDENTIAL AREA OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, THROUGH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND SCHOOL SYSTEM'. REFERRALS GENERALLY COME FROM PROBATION OFFICERS. EXTENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM WAS BEGUN WHEN IT WAS REALIZED THAT 70 PERCENT OF THE GRADUATES NEVER GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH AT TIME OF REFERRAL THEY SEEM HEADED FOR SERIOUS TROUBLE. TESTS GIVEN BOTH UPON ENTRANCE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS FOUND THAT THE AVERAGE GUIDE GIRL IS MALADJUSTED BOTH WITH RESPECT TO SOCIAL MORES AND SOCIAL SITUATIONS IN GENERAL. ALTHOUGH SHE TENDS TO FEEL RATHER ALIENATED FROM SOCIETY, SHE DOES NOT UTILIZE NEUROTIC DEFENSE MECHANISMS; RATHER, SHE IS DISTURBED WITH HER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AND LACKING CONTROL MECHANISMS, ACTS OUT HER DISTURBANCE. THE FAMILIES ARE TROUBLED; 29 PERCENT OF IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IN JAIL OR PRISON, 19 PERCENT HAVE HAD SERIOUS EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN, AND 41 PERCENT HAVE A SERIOUS DRINKING PROBLEM. ONLY 37 PERCENT OF THE HOMES ARE INTACT. GENERALLY THE HOMES ARE CROWDED, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 6 PERSONS IN THEM. MOST OF THE GIRLS HAVE A SIBLING WHO IS OR HAS BEEN ON PROBATION. THE GIRLS AVERAGE ABOUT 2.5 PARENT FIGURES IN THEIR LIFE HISTORY. THEIR INTELLIGENCE IS ESSENTIALLY IN THE NORMAL RANGE. MORE THAN HALF THE GIRLS WERE IN THE JUNIOR HIGH GRADES WHEN THEY ENTERED GUIDE, BUT DESPITE NORMAL INTELLIGENCE NEARLY HALF HAD NOT COMPLETED NINTH GRADE BY AGE 15. THEY AVERAGED THREE COURT APPEARANCES BY AGE 15. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING SHOWED: (1) THE YOUNGER AT AGE OF ENTRY INTO GUIDE, THE HIGHER THE ANTISOCIAL POTENTIAL; (2) THE MORE OLDER SIBLINGS, THE MORE IMPULSIVE HER BEHAVIOR; (3) THE MORE YOUNGER SIBLINGS, THE LESS LIKELY SHE IS TO GET INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE BUT THE MORE MALADJUSTED HER BEHAVIOR; (4) THE HIGHER THE GRADE IN SCHOOL REACHED, THE LESS LIKELY SHE IS TO SCORE HIGH ON THE REPRESSION SCALE. ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE PROGRAM WAS TO RETURN THE GIRL TO HIGH SCHOOL, THIS PROVED TO BE TOO HIGH A GOAL. MOST GET MARRIED OR GET A JOB UPON LEAVING. ABOUT HALF EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. GENERALLY, IT APPEARS THAT A LARGE FAMILY, PARTICULARLY ONE WITH SHIFTING PARENTAL FIGURES, HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT AND ON ABILITY TO EARN VOCABULARY SCORES IF SHE HAS DELINQUENT TENDENCIES. HAVING YOUNGER SIBLINGS KEEPS HER FROM GETTING INVOLVED IN SERIOUS TROUBLE AS OFTEN; HAVING OLDER INVOLVES HER IN TROUBLE MORE. IN A FEW FAMILIES THERE SEEMS TO BE A 'ROLE' OF FEMALE DELINQUENT THAT GETS PASSED DOWN THE LINE FROM OLDEST TO YOUNGEST DAUGHTER AND SOMETIMES ONLY ONE CHILD IS ALLOWED TO HAVE THIS ROLE AT A TIME. IN A FAMILY SUCH AS THIS, REHABILITATING ONE DAUGHTER, EVEN WITH EXTENSIVE SERVICES OFFERED THE FAMILY AS A WHOLE, MERELY GETS THE NEXT ONE INTO MORE SERIOUS TROUBLE. DELINQUENCY FOR THE GIRLS IN THE GUIDE PROGRAM IS NOT A CASUAL OR ACCIDENTAL OCCCURRENCE, BUT A WAY OF RESPONDING TO A DISRUPTIVE HOME ENVIRONMENT OUT OF STEP WITH PREVAILING SOCIAL MORES. (FOR RELATED DOCUMENTS, SEE NCJ-46093, NCJ-46094, NCJ-46096.) (GLR)