YOUTH AND PARENT CHARACTERISTICS THAT INFLUENCE THE JUVENILE COURT LABELING PROCESS

• NCJ Number: 51111
• Author(s): D FORD
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 52 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

OBSERVATION OF JUVENILE INTAKE INTERVIEWS FOUND 10 ITEMS WHICH CORRELATED STRONGLY WITH THE INTAKE OFFICER'S RECOMMENDATION TO FILE OR DISMISS A CASE. FAMILIES COULD THEN USE THIS DATA TO INFLUENCE CASE OUTCOMES.

Abstract

THIS STUDY HAD TWO PARTS: (1) OBSERVATION OF INTAKE QUESTIONNAIRES AND PROCEDURES TO ISOLATE FACTORS WHICH CORRELATED WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMISS A CASE, AND (2) USE OF THIS DATA BY FAMILIES IN AN EXPERIMENT. THE 10 FACTORS, WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANT AT THE 1 PERCENT LEVEL, WERE: (1) PARENTS LEVY A CONSEQUENCE AT HOME FOR THE OFFENSE; (2) TRUANCY WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, (3) SUSPENSION FROM SCHOOL WITHIN 2 YEARS, (4) PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES, (5) RESTITUTION OFFERED TO A VICTIM, (6) PARENTAL CURFEW FOR YOUTH, (7) YOUTH'S EXPRESSION OF REMORSE FOR ACT, (8) PARENT APPROVAL OF YOUTH'S FRIENDS, (9) FRIENDS COME TO YOUTH'S HOME, AND (10) PLANNED RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AS OPPOSED TO 'HANGING AROUND.' A BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE 'APPROPRIATE' ANSWERS TO THESE INTAKE QUESTIONS WAS THEN MAILED TO A SAMPLE OF 127 FAMILIES OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS APPEARING BEFORE THE COURT. HALF OF THESE FAMILIES ALSO RECEIVED A SHORT COUNSELING INTERVIEW WHICH EXPLAINED THE PROCEDURES AND EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE QUESTIONS. OF A CONTROL GROUP OF 130 FAMILIES, HALF RECEIVED A 'PLACEBO' INTERVIEW SO THE INTAKE OFFICER WOULD NOT KNOW WHICH FAMILIES HAD RECEIVED THE BOOKLETS. THE FAMILIES WHICH RECEIVED BOTH BOOKLETS AND INTERVIEWS HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER OF 'APPROPRIATE' RESPONSES THAN EITHER THE CONTROLS OR THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE BOOKLET ALONE. IT WAS FELT THAT THE BOOKLET ALONE HAD LITTLE IMPACT. CASES WERE FILED FOR 17 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS WHOSE FAMILES RECEIVED BOTH PAMPHLET AND COUNSELING, 29 PERCENT OF THOSE RECEIVING THE PAMPHLET ALONE, 30 PERCENT OF THOSE RECEIVING A PLACEBO INTERVIEW, AND 29 PERCENT OF THOSE RECEIVING NEITHER PAMPHLET NOR INTERVIEW. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT INTAKE OFFICERS MAKE LITTLE ATTEMPT TO VERIFY DATA OBTAINED DURING THE INTERVIEW AND THAT PARENTS CAN BE ACTIVELY ENLISTED IN EFFORTS TO HAVE CHARGES DISMISSED. TABLES PRESENT THE STUDY DATA. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)