NCJ Number
69472
Date Published
1967
Length
120 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS ARE REPORTED OF THE CINCINNATI POLICE-JUVENILE ATTITUDE PROJECT--AN EXERCISE IN POLICE-TEACHER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE POLICE-JUVENILE RELATIONS ON A MASS SCALE.
Abstract
TEACHING PERSONNEL AND POLICE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, THE CINCINNATI POLICE DIVISION, AND COOPERATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN CINCINNATI COLLABORATED ON THE DEVELOPMENT IN 1966-67 OF THREE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM UNITS AND ONE CURRICULUM UNIT FOR POLICE TRAINING. THESE MATERIALS WERE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE POLICE OFFICERS AND THE JUVENILES' UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER. IN APRIL 1967, THE DEVELOPED CURRICULUM UNITS WERE INSTITUTED EXPERIMENTALLY IN THE ONGOING SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAM OF 12 SELECTED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS TO BE TAUGHT ON EITHER A 2-WEEK OR A 6-WEEK BASIS. THE CURRICULUM UNIT FOR POLICE TRAINING, TITLED THE NATURE OF THE EARLY ADOLESCENT, WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE CINCINNATI POLICE ACADEMY CURRICULUM. THE RESULTS OF PRETESTING AND POSTTESTING OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INDICATED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL CURRICULUM UNITS HAD BROUGHT ABOUT SIGNIFICANT FAVORABLE CHANGES IN THE ATTITUDE SCALE SCORES OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS. ITEM ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE FAVORABLE CHANGES IN THE MEAN SCORES OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS WERE CAUSED BY THE GENERAL SHIFTING IN ATTITUDES BY A LARGE MASS OF STUDENTS AND NOT BY EXTREME SHIFTS OF SCATTERED INDIVIDUALS. AS INDICATED BY THE RESPONSES OF POLICE RECRUITS ON THEIR EXAMINATIONS, THE CURRICULUM UNIT ON JUVENILES INSTITUTED AT THE POLICE ACADEMY WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIMILAR PILOT PROJECTS IN OTHER STATES THROUGH USING THE CURRICULUM UNITS DEVELOPED IN THE CINCINNATI PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED. ALSO DESCRIBED ARE THE ONGOING UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI RESEARCH PROGRAM ON JUVENILE ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND THE FAVORABLE INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF THE CINCINNATI PROJECT CONDUCTED BY THREE UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND THREE POLICE OFFICERS NOT CONNECTED WITH THE PROJECT. A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT THAT WOULD USE THE CURRICULUM MATERIALS DEVELOPED BY THE CINCINNATI POLICE-JUVENILE ATTITUDE PROJECT FOR MODIFYING POLICE-JUVENILE ATTITUDES IS ADVOCATED. NUMEROUS DATA TABLES ARE PROVIDED.