NCJ Number
154118
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 74 Issue: 2 Dated: (March/April 1995) Pages: 351-366
Date Published
1995
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Attachment theory and research form the basis for this ethnographic study of boys in a Texas residential facility, the Gardenville Residential Treatment Center (GRTC), who were diagnosed with conduct disorders.
Abstract
Milieu therapy in the GRTC focuses on education and behavior modification; a group level system is used to reinforce positive behaviors and eliminate negative behaviors. The study took a qualitative, ethnographic approach to the experiences of 20 boys in the residential treatment center, all of whom were in the legal conservatorship of child protective services. Boys ranged in age from 8 to 17 years, with an average age of 14 years; nine boys were white, six were Mexican-American, two were black, and three were racially mixed. Research methods included loosely structured interviews with residents, interviews with three child protective service workers, participant observations in the facility, and a review of case records. The analysis concentrated on a subsample that consisted of the four oldest boys who were diagnosed with conduct disorders. Histories of these four boys indicated that previous placement disruptions occurred when a placement could not cope with a boy's behavioral difficulties. The four boys displayed alienation in relation to discharge from the facility. Antisocial, acting out behaviors appeared in conjunction with discharge and the termination of relationships. Specific alienating behaviors included lying, stealing, sexual inappropriateness, physical violence, threats of violent retaliation, and substance abuse. Each boy was concerned with severing current relationships and with emancipation from out-of-home care while struggling with conduct disorders that primarily manifested themselves in violating the rights of others. Study findings indicate that case workers should expect clients diagnosed with conduct disorders to display antisocial, acting out behaviors, especially at transitions. Attachment theory suggests that these clients are young people who have internalized a view of the world as hostile. The goal of case workers should be to reduce feelings of abandonment and the need to act out. The authors contend that moving children from placement to placement may be more damaging than allowing them to grow up in a stable institution. 23 references