ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP COUNSELING - A LOOK AT THE GROUP LEADER IN THE CORRECTIONAL SETTING

• NCJ Number: 41417
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1977) Pages: 77-85
• Author(s): R J RESNIK; F LIRA; J H WALLACE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: American Assoc of Correctional Psychologists
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP LEADERS IN A CORRECTION SETTING, A SAMPLE OF COUNSELING GROUPS LED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND CORRECTIONAL COUNSELORS WAS STUDIED.

Abstract

THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT GROUPS LED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS HAD BETTER ADJUSTMENT IN THEIR WORK SETTINGS THAN THOSE GROUPS LED BY OTHER LEADERS. SIMILARLY, MOTIVATION WAS HIGHER IN THE PSYCHOLOGIST-LED GROUPS. THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUP LEADERS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE DIFFERENTIAL ROLE THE GROUP LEADER HAS WITHIN THE CORRECTIONAL SETTING, PARTICULARLY THE RELATIVE INPUT THE GROUP LEADER HAS IN THE INMATE'S FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR PAROLE. THUS, THE AUTHORS DETERMINED THAT THE INMATE'S PERCEPTION OF THE GROUP LEADER AS A THREAT TO HIS FREEDOM NEGATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GROUP COUNSELING PROCESS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAINING OF GROUP LEADERS AS WELL AS THEIR SELECTION ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...KAP