NCJ Number
218854
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 59-79
Date Published
2006
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study identified predictors of juvenile justice staff responses to problematic youth behavior in detention settings.
Abstract
The results indicted differences in juvenile justice staff responses to problem youth behavior by staff minority status and training status. Specifically, minority staff members were more likely than their White counterparts to react in a more punitive manner toward youth problem behavior. Additionally, staff members who had not completed their training in the areas of anger management, family counseling, life skills development, and behavior modification reacted in a more punitive manner toward youth problem behavior than did their counterparts who completed their training. Generally, staff trained in anger management, family counseling, life skills development, and behavior modification assigned less punitive consequences to problem youth. The findings suggest that training for juvenile justice staff is a critical component for moving the juvenile justice system toward a positive youth development paradigm. Future research should examine the effects of training on staff attitudes and behaviors on the job. Participants were 85 direct care and administrative staff employed in 7 juvenile justice facilities in Alaska who completed an online questionnaire designed to elicit information about demographic characteristics, personality, and training experiences. The questionnaire also sought assessments of the severity of consequences assigned to youth for certain problem behaviors. Multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between staff position, age, gender, ethnicity, amount of training, and the hypothetical severity scores. Tables, notes, references, appendix