NCJ Number
68437
Date Published
Unknown
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES DATA RELATIVE TO PERSONALITY, ATTITUDE, AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES IN THE PROJECT OZ YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND COMPARE THEM TO THOSE FOR NONPARTICIPANTS.
Abstract
DETAILS OF THIS CALIFORNIA PROJECT ARE NOT DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT. TWO JUDGES WITH DOCTORAL DEGREES IN PSYCHOLOGY REVIEWED INFORMATION FROM INTERVIEWS OF 25 PROJECT YOUTHS AND 25 YOUTHS ON PROBATION. THE PURPOSE WAS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF FAMILY ADJUSTMENT, THE EXTENT OF SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT, AND THE EXTENT OF OVERALL ADJUSTMENT. PROJECT YOUTHS SHOWED MORE IMPROVEMENT IN SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT AND HOMELIFE ADJUSTMENT THAN DID THE PROBATION YOUTHS. FIFTY-SIX PERCENT OF THE PROJECT YOUTHS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF TOTAL ADJUSTMENT WHILE 61 PERCENT OF THE PROBATION YOUTHS SHOWED DECREASES IN ADJUSTMENT. ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT YOUTHS DECREASED IN ADJUSTMENT. PROJECT YOUTHS PLACED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN PROBATIONERS IN PURPOSE-IN-LIFE TEST SCORES AT THE FOLLOWUP TEST. PROJECT YOUTHS INDICATED SIGNIFICANT GAINS ON FIVE PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT SUBTESTS: PERSONAL WORTH, BELONGING, PERSONAL FREEDOM, FREEDOM FROM WITHDRAWAL TENDENCY, AND TOTAL PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT. THESE YOUTHS ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT GAINS FOR SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT SUBTESTS ON SOCIAL SKILLS. ANTISOCIAL TENDENCIES, FAMILY RELATIONS, SCHOOL RELATIONS, COMMUNITY RELATIONS. AND TOTAL SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. DATA ON 30 PROJECT AND 30 PROBATION YOUTHS SHOWED THAT THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE PROJECT YOUTHS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER. FINALLY, PROJECT YOUTHS TENDED TO PLACE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER THAN PROBATION YOUTHS IN ACADEMIC GRADE POINT AVERAGES AND CITIZENSHIP GRADE POINT AVERAGES. THE REPORT CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH PROJECT YOUTHS TENDED TO PERFORM BETTER IN SCHOOL THAN DID THE PROBATION YOUTHS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. TABLES ARE INCLUDED.