NCJ Number
45762
Date Published
1976
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM OF INTENSIVE, BRIEF BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH 28 MALE AND FEMALE PROBATIONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES; NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS NOTED.
Abstract
THIS STUDY OF CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING WITH FAMILIES, WHICH HAS BECOME A POPULAR INTERVENTION STRATEGY FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS, WAS CONDUCTED IN VENTURA, CALIF. TWENTY-EIGHT FAMILIES WITH A PROBATIONER BETWEEN 14 AND 17 YEARS OF AGE WERE REFERRED TO THE VENTURA COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT; 16 COMPLETED THE FIRST HOME VISIT, 8 FINISHED THE BASELINE PERIOD, AND 6 COMPLETED THE FIRST 3 HOME INTERVENTIONS AND FOLLOWUP. THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE THREE WEEKLY FAMILY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS RECEIVED COMMUNICATION SKILLS TRAINING WITH VIDEOTAPE FEEDBACK AND CONTINGENCY CONTRACTS WERE DRAWN. BEHAVIORS MEASURED WERE VERBAL ABUSIVENESS, CURFEW COMPLIANCE, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, AND PERFORMANCE OF CHORES. THE ONLY BEHAVIOR THAT SHOWED ANY MARKED CHANGE WAS VERBAL ABUSIVENESS AND THEN ONLY IN THE THREE CASES IN WHICH THE ADOLESCENT CONTRACTED TO REDUCE VERBAL ABUSIVENESS. THE OTHER BEHAVIORS WERE ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED BY THE INTERVENTION, EVEN WHEN CHANGE HAD BEEN CONTRACTED FOR. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT BY THE TIME A CHILD REACHES ADOLESCENCE, THE PARENTS HAVE LOST MUCH OF THEIR REINFORCEMENT CONTROL OVER THEIR OFFSPRING; THUS, WITHOUT ENGAGING THE PEER GROUP IN AN INTERVENTION STRATEGY LITTLE CAN BE DONE WITH FAMILY THERAPY ALONE. WITH LESS DEVIANT AND DISORGANIZED FAMILIES, CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING MAY BE EFFECTIVE. AT PRESENT THIS TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION AND ONLY FOR LIMITED OBJECTIVES.