NCJ Number
42496
Date Published
1976
Length
193 pages
Annotation
THIS DISSERTATION EXAMINES THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG TRAINING SCHOOL BOYS AND THE FACTORS INVOLVING GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAMS IN THE COTTAGE SETTINGS.
Abstract
THE THEORETICAL QUESTION OF THIS STUDY IS WHETHER IN-TRAINING SCHOOL VARIABLES OR PRE-TRAINING SCHOOL VARIABLES ARE MORE IMPORTANT IN EXPLAINING ADJUSTMENT IN A TRAINING SCHOOL. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS QUESTION IS TO EXTEND UPON PREVIOUS RESEARCH BY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS UPON ADJUSTMENT OF BOTH IN AND PRE-TRAINING SCHOOL VARIABLES. A SAMPLE OF 150 TRAINING SCHOOL BOYS IS STUDIED, WITH DATA COLLECTED VIA QUESTIONNAIRES OF THE BOYS, STAFF QUESTIONNAIRES, AND THE SCHOOL RECORDS. PATH ANALYSIS OF THE DIRECT EFFECTS OF THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES UPON USE OF THE GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM AND UPON COTTAGE BEHAVIOR INDICATED THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS: 1) THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BOYS INVOLVED THEMSELVES IN THE GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM WAS INFLUENCED MAINLY BY THE IN-TRAINING SCHOOL VARIABLES OF LENGTH OF STAY, AND THE ATTITUDES OF THEIR CLIQUES TOWARD THE STAFF AND PROGRAMS OF THE SCHOOL. THE LONGER THE BOYS' LENGTH OF STAY AND THE MORE PRO-SOCIAL THEIR CLIQUES' ATTITUDES, THE GREATER WAS THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM. 2) THE WAY IN WHICH BOYS BEHAVE IN THE COTTAGE IS INFLUENCED PARTLY BY THEIR CHARACTERISTICS UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCHOOL; FOR EXAMPLE, THEIR EXTENT OF DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT, RACE, AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD BEHAVE WHILE AT THE SCHOOL. THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS FROM THE PATH ANALYSIS OF THE DATA IS THAT THE WAY IN WHICH BOYS ADJUST IN A TRAINING SCHOOL, IN TERMS OF THEIR COMPLIANCE TO STAFF EXPECTATIONS, IS A FUNCTION OF BOTH THEIR CHARACTERISTICS UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCHOL AND VARIOUS INFLUENCES UPON THEM WHILE AT THE SCHOOL.(AUTHOR ABSTRACT)....BDS