NCJ Number
34349
Date Published
1975
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THIS MEASURING INSTRUMENT WAS DEVELOPED TO COMPARE THE SUCCESS OF VARIOUS TREATMENT UNITS IN AFFECTING SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT, PERSONALITY, AND BEHAVIOR IN ONTARIO TRAINING SCHOOLS.
Abstract
ANOTHER PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE MEASUREMENT OF TREATMENT POTENTIAL (MTP) IS TO ISOLATE SOME ELEMENTS OF THE METHODS, POPULATIONS, AND SITUATIONS THAT HELP OR HINDER THE VARIOUS TREATMENT UNITS. THE MTP IS COMPOSED OF TWO SEPARATE MEASURES, ONE REPRESENTING THE STATUS OF THE CHILDREN AMONG THEIR PEERS (AS MEASURED BY A SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONNAIRE) AND THE SECOND THE BEHAVIOR RATING OF THE CHILD BY THE TRAINING SCHOOL STAFF. THE QUESTION OF THE MTP WAS INTENDED TO ANSWER WAS WHETHER CHILDREN ADOPT A SET OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEIR OWN BEHAVIOUR WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE ATTITUDES OF THE STAFF TO THE CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOUR. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THE CORRELATION COEFFICIENT BETWEEN THESE TWO SETS OF ATTITUDES COULD PROVIDE A MEASURE OF BOTH THE POTENTIAL AND SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF TREATMENT. THIS STUDY INVOLVED 969 SUBJECTS DRAWN FROM SIX BOYS' TRAINING SCHOOLS, ONE TRAINING CENTER FOR YOUNG MEN, FOUR TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS, AND ONE SCHOOL FOR YOUNG (UNDER TWELVE) BOYS. DISCUSSED ARE THE COMPONENTS OF THE MTP, CALCULATING THE MTP, AND THE RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND PREDICTIVE VALIDITY SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT, RECIDIVISM) OF MTP. THE AGE OF PUPILS, SIZE OF INSTITUTION, AND STAFF/PUPIL RATIO ARE ALSO EXAMINED AS POSSIBLE CORRELATES OF MTP. IT WAS FOUND THAT LOW SOCIOMETRIC AND BEHAVIOR SCORES WERE PREDICTORS OF LATER ADULT CRIMINALITY; HIGH MTP UNITS WERE SMALL AND THE STAFF/PUPIL RATION WAS HIGH. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS COPIES OF THE SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONNAIRES AND THE BEHAVIOR RATING FORM AND A DISCUSSION OF MTP TESTING IN UNITS OF YOUNG CHILDREN. A TWO PAGE LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)