NCJ Number
117291
Journal
Child and Youth Care Quarterly Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1988) Pages: 137-143
Date Published
1988
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study addresses the effective change in self-concept of 231 adjudicated delinquents in positive peer culture treatment.
Abstract
Positive Peer Culture (PPC) has been a popular peer group intervention strategy for delinquent youth for about the last 12 years. PPC attempts to teach the basis value of loving and caring for one another. The phenomenon of 'peer influence' is regarded as very powerful and must be considered and utilized when dealing with a teenage population. The primary technique for teaching this value is the use of small discussion groups wherein both staff and peers identify problems displayed by group members and develop strategies to solve those problems. The solutions generally involve changing attitudes, values, and self-concepts. Trust and openness are valued rather than coercion and punishment. Self-concept or self-image is an integral target of PPC intervention. It has long been recognized that a negative self-concept is part of the picture of the typical delinquent and the link between this concept and delinquent behavior has been presumed. The overall conclusion of this study is that delinquent youth who successfully completed a PPC residential treatment program rated themselves as having a more positive self-concept and a higher level of psychological adjustment upon discharge. However, with the absence of a control group, it could be that other factors in the treatment setting were related to the changes reported. Future research is planned to include other treatment centers as comparison groups to more directly address this issue. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 20 references. (Author abstract modified)