NCJ Number
102010
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1986) Pages: 291-302
Date Published
1986
Length
12 pages
Annotation
To evaluate the effectiveness of a primary intervention designed to prevent juvenile delinquency, this study assigned 40 Canadian high school students to 1 of 4 groups: preemployment skills training plus a community support network involving the Chamber of Commerce, skills training only, assessment-procedure control group, and no-contact control group.
Abstract
Training involved a videotaped assessment, social competence training, videotaped posttraining assessment, and assessment by Canadian Employment Centre personnel. Social support included meetings with local business managers and written recommendations of participants to employment opportunities in which they were interested. While no pretest differences were evident among groups, experimentals in both groups showed significant improvement in all variables assessed except self-presentation. These included providing job-relevant information; initiating and maintaining conversation, interest, and enthusiasm; answering questions, and others. Employers' ratings of experimental and control subjects similarly favored the experimentals. A 2-month followup of employment rates indicates rates were highest for subjects receiving the combined treatment, followed by those receiving skills training alone. Results suggest that the acquisition of prosocial behaviors can increase employment among youth and thus may deter delinquency. 22 references.