EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY BASED DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM ON THE BASIS OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT

• NCJ Number: 49218
• Author(s): W M WHITNEY
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 129 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TRAINED TO OPERATE AN AUTO MECHANICS BUSINESS IN THE CONTEXT OF SMALL GROUP DYNAMICS IS COMPARED WITH AN INDIVIDUALIZED-TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP IN TERMS OF EFFECT ON DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY WERE 61 DELINQUENT YOUTHS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 19. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE CLIENTS OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH IS A MODEL CITIES DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM IN LANSING, MICHIGAN. THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBSYSTEM CONSISTED OF AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CENTER OPERATED AS A NONPROFIT COOPERATIVE AND LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY OF LANSING. IT PROVIDED PARTICIPANTS WITH TRAINING IN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS AND SKILLS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. THE CONTROL GROUP, COMPOSED OF 30 SUBJECTS, WERE GIVEN EMPLOYMENT AS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION INTERNS, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS YOUTH IN THEIR EFFORTS TO FIND AND ADJUST TO EMPLOYMENT AS INDIVIDUALS IN THE REGULAR JOB MARKET. MOST OF THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED PLACEMENTS IN POSITIONS INVOLVING TECHNICAL AND SKILL TRAINING. THREE DEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE MEASURED: OCCURRENCE OF JUVENILE OFFENSES; EDUCATIONAL STATUS; AND LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT. DATA ON THESE VARIABLES WERE OBTAINED FROM PARTICIPANTS' SELF REPORTS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. IN ADDITION TO THE DATA COLLECTED ON THE THREE DEPENDENT MEASURES, DATA WERE ALSO COLLECTED ON THREE INTERNAL PROCESSES IN THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBSYSTEM: SOCIOMETRIC CHOICE RATINGS; MORALE RATINGS; AND JOB BEHAVIOR RATINGS. DATA REVEALED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE REDUCTION OF DELINQUENT OFFENSES FOR INITIAL PARTICIPANTS WHO REMAINED IN THE EXPERIMENT LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. THE RESULTS FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT SOCIOMETRIC RATINGS ARE GOOD PREDICTORS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND THAT FORMAL TRAINING AND SMALL GROUP DYNAMICS MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN MAINTAINING A COMMUNITY-BASED DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES PROVIDE SAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS OF THE MEASURING INSTRUMENTS USED. (RCB)