NCJ Number
77113
Date Published
1977
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The levels of living, learning, and working skills of delinquent, nondelinquent, and outstanding youth and the personnel who treat them were compared to determine if youthful offenders might have skill deficits which could be eliminated through education.
Abstract
Among the more than 1,300 youths inventoried were nondelinquent youths, nondelinquents viewed as 'outstanding' in their communities, and youthful offenders. The over 1,400 adults in the sample included parents, staff members at State training schools and State homes, personnel in community agencies, and probation and parole personnel. For living skills, participants were assessed on their degree of helpfulness in terms of their interpersonal, problemsolving, and program development skills. Learning skills that were measured included study skills, learning strategies, and computational and verbal skills. Working skills were assessed in terms of the person's ability to plan and to survey the availability of jobs. In addition, adults were assessed on their ability to facilitate youth career development. The results showed that outstanding youths have more living, learning, and working skills than nondelinquent youths, who have more skills than nondelinquent youths. In particular, learning skills distinguish these groups from one another. Parents of outstanding and nondelinquent youths support their children's skills development, and both institutional and community-based personnel support youth skills development at levels higher than do the homes of delinquent youth. Finally, adult personnel can be trained to influence youth skills development. Thus, programs must be designed to provide needed skills to all youths, and institutions should attempt to provide missing skills to delinquents. Data tables and a four-item reference list are included.