EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLEGE STUDENT COMPANION THERAPISTS WITH PREDELINQUENT YOUTHS

• NCJ Number: 58214
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 186-195
• Author(s): T M KELLEY; H A KIYAK; R A BLAK
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1-351-3 (1974-76)
• Sponsoring Agency: Wayne Cty
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS TRAINED AS COMPANION THERAPISTS TO PREDELINQUENT YOUTHS IS EVALUATED IN THIS STUDY.

Abstract

THE COMPANION COUNSELING PROGRAM INVOLVED ADOLESCENTS IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM AND COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY AND WAYNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE COUNSELING EXPERIENCE WOULD LEAD TO CHANGES IN BEHAVIORAL ATTITUDES AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENTS OF THE PREDELINQUENT YOUNGSTERS. SPECIFICALLY, IT WAS PREDICTED THAT RECIDIVISM WOULD DECLINE, SCHOOL AND HOME BEHAVIOR WOULD IMPROVE, AND THAT SUCH A PROGRAM WOULD SIMULTANEOUSLY BENEFIT THE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN HELPING TO CLARIFY EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL GOALS. YOUNGSTERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM HAD NO MORE THAN THREE 'UNOFFICIAL' POLICE CONTACTS, NO FORMAL ADJUDICATION HEARINGS AT JUVENILE COURT, NO EXTREME PHYSICAL, MENTAL, OR EMOTIONAL HANDICAPS, HAD VOLUNTEERED FOR THE PROGRAM, AND WERE 10-TO-17-YEARS OLD. A TOTAL OF 65 YOUNGSTERS PARTICIPATED; 51 WERE BLACK, 14 WERE WHITE, WITH ALMOST EQUAL MALE AND FEMALE DISTRIBUTION. ALL 65 STUDENT COUNSELORS WERE ENROLLED IN PSYCHOLOGY COURSES IN ADVANCED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, AND MANY SERVED IN THE PROGRAM AS PART OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS. COUNSELING GOALS AND RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS WERE DISCUSSED WITH SUPERVISORS EACH WEEK; TRAINING MODULES IN EMPATHY, REALITY THERAPY, TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS, AND BEHAVIORAL CONTACTING WERE ALSO OFFERED. COUNSELOR-YOUTH ASSIGNMENTS WERE MADE ON A RANDOM BASIS; EACH COUNSELOR MET WITH THE CLIENT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR A MINIMUM OF 4 HOURS THROUGHOUT THE FULL ACADEMIC YEAR; THE MEAN NUMBER OF CONTACTS DURING THIS PERIOD WAS 18 HOURS OF CONTACT PER MONTH PER CLIENT. STUDY RESULTS SHOWED THAT COUNSELED YOUTHS SHOWED LOWER RATES OF RECIDIVISM THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT YEAR ON ALL-COURT AND POLICE-RELATED VARIABLES, SLIGHTLY HIGHER SUSPENSION RATES FROM SCHOOL, AND POSITIVE REPORTS THROUGH PARENTAL PERCEPTION EVALUATIONS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE PRESENCE OF A COMPANION COUNSELOR CAN BE HIGHLY USEFUL IN REDUCING THE WORKLOAD OF JUVENILE COURT CASE WORKERS AND IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM AMONG YOUTHS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA WERE INCLUDED. (LWM)