Individual, Group, and Family Interventions (From Handbook of Juvenile Delinquency, P 290-324, 1987, Herbert C Quay, ed. -- See NCJ-106369)

• NCJ Number: 106377
• Author(s): D A Gordon; J Arbuthnot
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 35 pages
• Sale Source: John Wiley and Sons
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter describes individual, group, and family approaches to intervention with juvenile delinquents and reviews related evaluative research.

Abstract

Findings have been relatively consistent in showing a lack of significant treatment effects for individual psychotherapy and casework. Individual behavioral interventions such as contingency management have shown greater success, particularly when targeted behaviors are discrete, the youth has some input, and behaviors have consistent and meaningful consequences. Cognitive developmental interventions focusing on interpersonal problemsolving, role-taking, impulse control, and sociomoral reasoning, likewise, have shown successes both in skills acquisition and behavioral improvement. Behaviorally oriented, skills-training family interventions also have shown success in promoting behavioral improvements. While such treatments have been found effective in modifying behaviors, effects on recidivism have not been as apparent. Approximately 140 references.