PARENT GROUP TRAINING PROGRAMS IN JUVENILE COURTS - A NATIONAL SURVEY

• NCJ Number: 60055
• Journal: FAMILY COORDINATOR Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 459-463
• Author(s): J O WINDELL; E A WINDELL
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Family Relations
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY OF JUVENILE COURTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DETERMINE IF THE RESPONDENTS HAVE USED PARENT GROUP RETRAINING PROCEDURES DEVELOPED BY CHILD MANAGEMENT EXPERTS.

Abstract

THE TRAINING OF PARENTS AS BEHAVIOR THERAPISTS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN HAS BEEN A RECENT AND FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT. A RECENT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS MAILED TO THE JUVENILE OR PROBATE JUDGE IN EACH OF 476 JUVENILE COURTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA TO DETERMINE (1) THE NUMBER OF JUVENILE COURTS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PARENT GROUP EDUCATION OR PARENT GROUP RETRAINING, (2) THE EXTENT OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT (VOLUNTARY OR COERCIVE PARTICIPATION) IN SUCH PROGRAMS, (3) THE TECHNIQUES OR METHODS USED IN SUCH PROGRAMS, AND (4) THE RESULTS OF SUCH PARENT GROUPS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF EVERY 10TH NAME OF THE MORE THAN 3,000 JUVENILE JUDGES LISTED IN THE DIRECTORY OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JUVENILE COURT JUDGES, (1973-1974). IN ADDITION, AS MANY AS FIVE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO THE LARGEST CITIES IN EACH STATE AND IN ONTARIO, CANADA. REPLIES WERE RECEIVED FROM 191 COURTS, REPRESENTING A 40 PERCENT RESPONSE. RESULTS OF THE SURVEY INDICATE A GROWTH AWARENESS BY JUVENILE COURTS OF A NEED TO PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF GROUP THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PARENTS OF DELINQUENTS. ALTHOUGH ONLY ONE OF FIVE COURTS REPORTS A PARENT GROUP EDUCATION OR RETRAINING PROGRAM, THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE RESPONSES 3 YEARS AGO PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SHOWN ONLY ONE OF FIFTY COURTS HAVING A PARENT INTERVENTION PROGRAM. THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED THEORETICAL APPROACHES WERE PARENT EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING (49 PERCENT) AND BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION OR SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY (49 PERCENT). THE MOST PLAUSIBLE REASON FOR THE APPARENT FAILURE OF A NUMBER OF THESE PROGRAMS IS THE USE OF SHORT-TERM EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES, RATHER THAN INTENSIVE, THERAPEUTIC, AND RESEARCHED INTERVENTION APPROACHES GEARED TOWARD PARENTS WHO LACK NORMAL CHILDREARING SKILLS. NONE OF THE PROGRAMS REPORTED EVALUATION RESEARCH. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)