NCJ Number
64983
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (1974) Pages: 49-60
Date Published
1974
Length
12 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A FOLLOWUP STUDY FOCUSING ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT OF DELINQUENT BOYS AFTER RELEASE FROM A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION ARE DISCUSSED; CASE STUDIES ARE INCLUDED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES.
Abstract
HISTORICAL AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND EXAMINATIONAL DATA WERE ABSTRACTED FROM THE BOYS' CHARTS THAT ARE ROUTINELY ASSEMBLED AND KEPT AT THE TRAINING SCHOOL. PSYCHOLOGICAL DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM OBSERVATION AND FROM A BATTERY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS ADMINISTERED UPON ADMISSION TO THE TRAINING SCHOOL. DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT 72 PERCENT OF THE 94 EVALUATED CASES RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT OVER 75 PERCENT OF THEM DROPPED OUT. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOYS' POSTRELEASE SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT WERE CONSIDERED, THIS INQUIRY FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE SMALL GROUP OF 14 BOYS COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL. A FEW PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS WERE RELATED TO PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTCOME; I.E., WHETHER THE BOYS GRADUATED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL THE BOYS WHO COMPLETED SCHOOL HAD RECEIVED SOME SUPPORT FROM A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT OR FROM INTERESTED PEOPLE IN CONTRAST TO THE MAJORITY OF BOYS WHO DROPPED OUT. NONE OF THE BOYS WHO GRADUATED WAS INVOLVED IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR WHILE IN SCHOOL, AND ONLY TWO HAD GOTTEN INTO SERIOUS LEGAL TROUBLE DURING THE 3-YEAR FOLLOWUP PERIOD. IN COMPARISON, 40 PERCENT OF THE BOYS WHO DROPPED OUT AND 50 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO NEVER ATTENDED SCHOOL AFTER RELEASE EXPERIENCED SERIOUS LEGAL DIFFICULTIES DURING THE PERIOD CONSIDERED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IS MEANINGFUL IN REDUCING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. FOOTNOTES, REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LWM).