NCJ Number
13110
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (1973) Pages: 285-289
Date Published
1973
Length
5 pages
Annotation
PROGRAM TO MAKE JUVENILES MORE SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECT OF THEIR OWN WORDS AND BEHAVIOR UPON OTHERS IN ORDER TO REDUCE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND RECIDIVISM RATES.
Abstract
THE PROGRAM IS RUN BY THE JUVENILE DIAGNOSTIC AND RECEPTION CENTER IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA. THE JUVENILES PARTICIPATED IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS LED BY SEMI-PROFESSIONAL THERAPISTS USING THE PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION WHEREBY DESIRABLE VERBAL BEHAVIOR IS PRAISED AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY RESPONDED TO WHILE UNDESIRABLE VERBAL BEHAVIOR IS SIMPLY IGNORED. MANY JUVENILES IN THE GROUPS ADOPTED THIS PATTERN OF REWARD AND SANCTION TOWARDS THE BEHAVIOR OF THEIR PEERS, THEREBY ADDING STRONG PEER PRESSURES TO THE EFFORTS OF THE THERAPIST. AFTER ONE MONTH THE JUVENILES BEGAN TO RUN THEIR OWN GROUPS WITH THE THERAPISTS MERELY PROVIDING DIRECTION. WITHIN SIX MONTHS, VIOLENCE BECAME A RARE OCCURRENCE IN THE INSTITUTION, ALTHOUGH BEFORE THE GROUP PROGRAM IT HAD BEEN AN ALMOST DAILY EXPERIENCE. IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF THEY WERE THE SUPERINTENDANT AND HAD TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM, ALL THE JUVENILES INTERVIEWED STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSTITUTE A SIMILAR TYPE OF GROUP TREATMENT.