OAKLAND (CA) YOUTH WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM - AN EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 49684
• Author(s): D S ELLIOTT; B KNOWLES
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 170 pages
• Corporate Author: Behavioral Research Instit
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FINAL REPORT TO NATIONAL OFFICE FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Annotation

THE OAKLAND (CALIF.) YOUTH WORK EXPERIENCE PROJECT (OYWEP), DESIGNED AS A RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECT INTENDED TO ASSIST DELINQUENT YOUTH BY INCREASING THEIR EMPLOYABILITY, WAS EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE TARGET POPULATION FOR OYWEP IS DELINQUENT AND PREDELINQUENT YOUTH AGED 16-18. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE BASED LARGELY ON THE INSTITUTIONAL LABELING PERSPECTIVE, AND EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND COUNSELING SERVICES ARE USED TO REACH THESE GOALS. A CLASSICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OYWEP, WITH 202 MATCHED PAIRS DIVIDED INTO EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS, AND BOTH PRETESTS AND POSTTESTS PERFORMED ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. DATA IS PRESENTED FROM TWO STUDIES. FOLLOWUPS AT 6-MONTH INTERVALS AFTER PRETESTING COINCIDED WITH TERMINATION OF PROGRAM CYCLES. DATA REPRESENT ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF YOUTH AFTER 6 MONTHS OR 1 YEAR IN THE PROGRAM, BUT PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO JOBS OR WORK CAREERS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE IN THE FIRST STUDY THAT THE PROGRAM HAD A FAVORABLE IMPACT ON THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AFTER 6 MONTHS, BUT AFTER 1 YEAR, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF INCREASED FEELINGS OF SELF-ESTEEM AND A DECLINE IN FEELINGS OF POWERLESSNESS. CONTROL RESPONDENTS SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS, BUT SHOWED SOME UNFAVORABLE CHANGE AT THE SECOND FOLLOWUP, PARTICULARLY IN FEELINGS OF PARENTAL REJECTION. THE MAJORITY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP REPORTED A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OYWEP AT THE FIRST FOLLOWUP, AND PARTICIPANTS EVIDENCED FAVORABLE CHANGE WHEN COMPARED TO NONWORKING MEMBERS OF THE CONTROL GROUP. IN BOTH STUDIES, THERE WAS A FAVORABLE CHANGE SYSTEMATICALLY RELATED TO JOB SATISFACTION. OTHER RESULTS OF THE SECOND STUDY SHOWED NO FAVORABLE CHANGES OCCURED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATION. DIRECT COMPARISONS OF CONTROLS WHO DID AND DID NOT WORK YIELDED A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FAVORING THOSE WHO WORKED. OVERALL, THE RESULTS ARE DISAPPOINTING FROM THE PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE, ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM DID PRODUCE POSITIVE RESULTS RELATIVE TO CONTROLS WHO DID NOT WORK. IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME PROGRAM BENEFITS WERE NOT REALIZED AT THE TIME OF THE STUDIES. DETAILS OF THE EVALUATION DESIGN AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS FOR BOTH GROUPS TESTED ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIXES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-- DAG)