NCJ Number
15267
Date Published
1974
Length
159 pages
Annotation
THEORETICAL CONCERNS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND PROCEDURES FOR COUNSELING JUVENILES USING BEHAVIORAL TECHNIQUES.
Abstract
THAT DELINQUENCY IS ELICITED, SHAPED, AND MAINTAINED BY THE SAME PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING THAT CONTROL NORMAL DEVELOPMENT IS THE CENTRAL THESIS OF A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO PREVENTING DELINQUENCY. THIS BOOK IS DESIGNED TO SERVE AS A GUIDE ON COUNSELING PROCEDURES FOR PERSONS WHO DEAL WITH CHILDREN EXHIBITING MALADAPTIVE OR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. BY APPLYING THE NEWLY DEVELOPED TECHNIQUES OF BEHAVIOR THERAPY TO THE AREA OF DELINQUENCY, THIS TEXT CLEARLY SHOWS THE COUNSELOR, IN A STEP-BY-STEP DISCUSSION, HOW TO PROCEED. AMONG THE TOPICS COVERED ARE LEARNING BY BITS AND PIECES, REINFORCEMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT RATHER THAN OBEDIENCE, AND THE AVOIDANCE OF LABELS. THE BOOK IS ORGANIZED INTO TWO PARTS. CHAPTERS ONE THROUGH FOUR PROVIDE BACKGROUND MATERIAL IN THE SOCIO-LEGAL NATURE OF DELINQUENCY, ITS NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION IN THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AND THE BACKGROUND AND MISSION OF THE JUVENILE COURT. CHAPTERS FIVE THROUGH TEN SHOW HOW BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES MAY BE APPLIED TO THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS CHARGED WITH DEALING WITH CHILDREN. THE AUTHORS MAINTAIN THAT THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF DELINQUENCY MUST FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS, AND UNTIL THE LAWS OF LEARNING ARE RECOGNIZED AND UTILIZED, CHILDREN WITH PROBLEMS CAN NEVER BE EFFECTIVELY DEALT WITH. EACH CHAPTER REINFORCES THIS POINT SHOWING HOW BEHAVIORAL TECHNIQUES MAY BE APPLIED BY THE COURTS, THE HOME, AND THE SCHOOLS. THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE USEFUL TO JUVENILE COURT COUNSELORS, TEACHERS, INSTITUTIONAL STAFF, PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS. IT MAY ALSO BE UTILIZED AS A SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTBOOK FOR COURSES IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, GUIDANCE EDUCATION, SOCIAL WORK, PSYCHOLOGY, AND CRIMINOLOGY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)