TREATMENT OF THE VIOLENT INCORRIGIBLE ADOLESCENT

• NCJ Number: 58727
• Author(s): V L AGEE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 185 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Sale Source: Lexington Books
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CLOSED ADOLESCENT TREATMENT CENTER (CATC) IN COLORADO IS THE BASIS FOR THIS DISCUSSION OF TECHNIQUES FOR DEALING WITH VIOLENT YOUTHS WHO RESIST TREATMENT.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH THE BOOK DEALS PRIMARILY WITH PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS FOR HABITUALLY AGGRESSIVE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES PRESENTED PERTAIN TO COMMUNITY TREATMENT AND TO ALL TYPES OF DELINQUENTS. THE TERM AVERSIVE TREATMENT (ATE) IS USED TO REFER TO A GROUP OF YOUTHS WHOSE VIOLENCE MAKES MOST PEOPLE AVOID THEM AND WHO REPEATEDLY SABOTAGE OR RESISTS ATTEMPTS AT INTERVENTION. THE BOOK COVERS THE ETIOLOGY OF ATE'S AND THE FAILURE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUTH CORRECTIONS SYSTEMS TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE PROBLEMS OF ATE'S. A SYSTEM FOR CLASSIFYING ATE'S ACCORDING TO LEVEL OF INTERPERSONAL MATURITY AND AN EXPRESSIVE/INSTRUMENTAL BEHAVIORAL DIMENSION IS PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH GUIDELINES FOR MATCHING CLASSIFIED ATE'S WITH TREATMENT PROVIDERS. METHODS OF INTRODUCING STRUCTURE, LIMITS, AND CONTROLS INTO THE LIVES OF ATE'S ARE DESCRIBED, AS ARE SPECIFIC TREATMENT TECHNIQUES (THERAPEUTIC MILIEU, STRUCTURED PEER GROUP THERAPY). A DETAILED DESCRIPTION IS PRESENTED OF THE PROGRAM AT THE CATC, WHICH WAS THE FIRST FACILITY DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ATE'S. ALSO PROVIDED IS A SUMMARY OF A CATC PROGRAM EVALUATION, WHICH FOUND THAT THE CENTER WAS ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IN MEETING ITS TREATMENT GOALS. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN TREATING JUVENILE MURDERERS AND SEX OFFENDERS AND IN TREATING ATE'S THROUGH INDIVIDUAL THERAPY OR GROUP HOME PLACEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY ARE DISCUSSED. CASE STUDIES OF THE BACKGROUNDS, CHARACTERISTICS, AND TREATMENT OF TWO ATE'S ARE PROVIDED. ILLUSTRATIVE EXCERPTS FROM CATC CASE FILES ARE INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE SUGGESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING JOB APPLICANTS WHO WISH TO WORK WITH ATE'S, DETAILS OF THE COLORADO TREATMENT PROGRAM, AND A COPY OF THE PROBLEM-ORIENTED RECORDKEEPING FORM USED BY THE PROGRAM.