NCJ Number
49311
Date Published
1962
Length
320 pages
Annotation
A QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE ATTITUDES LEADING TO FAIRNESS IN JUVENILE COURT PROBATION WAS GIVEN TO 35 PROBATION OFFICERS. SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AN APPRECIATION OF DUE PROCESS.
Abstract
THE MAJOR PORTION OF THIS STUDY WAS DEVOTED TO ISOLATING 21 CRITERIA TO SPELL OUT THE MEANING OF FAIRNESS IN THE JUVENILE COURT PROBATION SETTING AND TO DEVELOPING A QUESTIONNAIRE OF 210 ITEMS TO MEASURE THESE FACTORS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS THEN ADMINISTERED TO 35 PROBATION OFFICERS. A PRELIMINARY TEST WITH THIS GROUP RESULTED IN 50 DISCRIMINATING ITEMS. BOTH THE ORIGINAL LIST OF 210 ITEMS AND THE SECOND LIST WERE THEN TESTED FOR VALIDITY. FINALLY, THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 35 PROBATION OFFICERS TO SEE IF THOSE WITH SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION IDENTIFIED MORE COMPLETELY WITH SOME ASPECTS OF FAIRNESS. WHEN THE RESPONSES GIVEN BY THOSE WITH SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION WERE CHECKED AGAINST IDEAL RESPONSES, IT WAS FOUND THAT THEY GAVE ANSWERS CLOSER TO THE IDEAL ON 30 OF THE 50 DISCRIMINATING ITEMS, BUT THOSE WITHOUT SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION WERE NEARER THE IDEAL ON 20 ITEMS. THE FINDINGS WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUT THEY DID SUGGEST SEVERAL AREAS FOR FURTHER WORK. FIRST, THE TWO GROUPS WERE NOT COMPARABLE IN AGE, SEX RATIO, MARITAL STATUS, OR SOCIAL POSITION OF FAMILY ORIGIN. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A LARGER STUDY BE MADE WHICH CONTROLS THESE VARIABLES. IT IS SUGGESTED, THAT IF FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS CONTINUED WEAKNESS IN THE AREAS OF DUE PROCESS AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF BOTH FAMILY AND CHILD, THAT SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION BE AMENDED TO MAKE THE RIGHTS OF THE CLIENT AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CURRICULUM. THE FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. A BIBLIOGRAPHY, A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE SIGNIFICANT CRITERIA, A COPY OF THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, A DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT, AND A DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING FAIRNESS ARE ALL INCLUDED.