NCJ Number
109058
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1987) Pages: 574-577
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Perceived health and mental health education needs of incarcerated juvenile delinquents were explored in 1981 and 1982 surveys of juvenile delinquents and their counselors.
Abstract
Survey 1 was administered to 123 juveniles and 54 staff members. Results were used to develop educational programs and formats. Survey 2 was completed by 64 juveniles and 43 staff following exposure to the programs. Results indicate that juveniles can discriminate between topics and the formats for presenting those topics. The topics of drugs and alcohol, education and training, and self-control and adaptive behavior showed the highest mean scores for juveniles. Juveniles and counselors did not differ significantly in their perceptions of needs, although juveniles exhibited a greater preference for the movie delivery format in Survey 1. No significant changes in perceived needs were found for juveniles and counselors in Survey 2. However, counselors' presentation preferences showed a shift toward the movie format, while juveniles' preferences shifted toward group and speaker formats. 2 tables and 15 references.