NCJ Number
71034
Date Published
1980
Length
207 pages
Annotation
Based on a 2-year experiment at a Community Home with Education (CHE), this book records results of an effort to provide alternatives to institutionalization for male delinquents in London, England.
Abstract
The book outlines one piece of research in a community home called Ardale with education on the premises. The study set out to discover whether or not it was possible to relly help some of the most disturbed, damaged, difficult, and delinquent boys in the London area without the use of 'secure' accommodation. It hypothesized that a percentage of boys judged in need of secure accommodation might possibly be helped in an 'open' environment. Two specific groups of boys were studied. The first group was a pairing group; when a boy was admitted into the 'hard-core' delinquent group, the next boy admitted normally was used as a direct comparison. Another group consisted of normally admitted boys. Tests and questionnaires based on a short form questionnaire by Moos were devised. The program consisted of individual counseling, group therapy, and behavior modification to help each boy adjust more easily into society after leaving Ardale. The program at Ardale was a success in that the boys did no worse than the majority of boys leaving CHE's and in many respects better. The Ardale experiment showed that it is possible to help the most difficult type of teenage delinquent in a CHE. A bibliography with over 100 entries is provided. Also included are tables, graphs, a glossary, and an index.