NCJ Number
38786
Journal
Juvenile Justice Volume: 27 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1976) Pages: 13-24
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE BACKGROUND, PROGRAM, AND MEANS BY WHICH THIS YOUTH PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF ITS BOYS' CAMPING PROGRAM.
Abstract
IT ALSO IDENTIFIES OTHER VIABLE SOCIAL INDICATORS THAT YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS CAN UTILIZE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR PROGRAMS AND RELATES THE SUCCESS OF THE MICHIGAN YOUTH SERVICES (MYS) PROGRAM AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED ON BEHALF OF YOUTH. THE MYS STRATEGY WAS TO SEPARATE THE YOUTH FROM HIS PAST ASSOCIATIONS BY PLACING HIM INTO A NEW ENVIRONMENT, ON THE THEORY THAT POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND THE REDUCTION OF NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS WOULD ENDURE UPON THEIR RETURN HOME. THE SOCIAL INDICATORS SELECTED FOR USE BY MYS WERE THE BOYS' PRE-CAMP ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR SELF-WORTH, THEIR PRE-CAMP BEHAVIORS, AND THEIR POST-CAMP BEHAVIORS. ANALYSIS OF THE MYS DATA INDICATED THAT THE PROGRAM CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TOWARD THE CAMPERS GAINING MORE POSITIVE POST-CAMP SELF-CONCEPTS AND BEHAVIORS. THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTING PROGRAM DATA USING VALID SOCIAL INDICATORS IS BRIEFLY DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO THE PROBLEM OF DEMONSTRATING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS TO QUALIFY FOR RE-FUNDING.