NCJ Number
46029
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 7-23
Date Published
1978
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF THREE INSTITUTIONS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN QUEBEC IS COMPARED TO THAT OF AMERICAN AND YUGOSLAVIAN INSTITUTIONS TO DETERMINE HOW THE INSTITUTIONAL CLIMATE MIGHT BE IMPROVED.
Abstract
THE INSTRUMENT USED (MOSS' CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION ENVIRONMENT SCALE) IS A QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTING OF 86 TRUE-FALSE ITEMS INTO 9 CATEGORIES INVOLVEMENT OF JUVENILES IN THE PROGRAMS OF THE INSTITUTION, SUPPORT FROM EDUCATORS, SELF-EXPRESSION, PRACTICAL ORIENTATION, UNDERSTANDING AND SOLVING PERSONAL PROBLEMS, ORDER AND ORGANIZATION, UNDERSTANDING RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND THE DEGREE OF CONTROL EXERCISED BY EDUCATORS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS ADMINISTERED TO YOUTHS AS WELL AS EDUCATORS, AND SCORES IN EACH CATEGORY RANGE 1 TO 10. IN A COMPARISON WITH AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS, IT IS SHOWN THAT THIS EVALUATION PROCEDURE CAN POINT OUT DIFFERENCES IN SCOPE AND THRUST OF PROGRAMS IN DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS. A COMPARISON WITH YUGOSLAVIAN INSTITUTIONS CONCLUDES THAT THE DEGREE OF SUPPORT YOUNGSTERS FEEL THEY ARE GETTING FROM EDUCATORS IS INVERSELY CORRELATED TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY FEEL CONTROLLED BY THEM. FOR THREE INSTITUTIONS IN QUEBEC, SCORES ARE AVERAGED BY INDIVIDUAL UNITS RATHER THAN FOR AN ENTIRE INSTITUTION, AND RESULTS SHOW DIFFERENCES IN THE SOCIAL CLIMATE WITHIN VARIOUS UNITS OF A SINGLE INSTITUTION, AS WELL AS WEAKNESSES IN THE THERAPEUTIC ATMOSPHERE OF INDIVIDUAL UNITS. AGAIN, THE CONTROL FACTOR WAS FOUND TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT; IT NEGATIVELY CORRELATED TO EDUCATOR SUPPORT, INVOLVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE, AND SELF-EXPRESSION. HOWEVER, NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP APPEARS TO EXIST BETWEEN THE CONTROL FACTOR AND THE CATEGORY ENTITLED 'ORDER AND ORGANIZATION'. THE ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE IS DEEMED USEFUL, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT INCLUDES PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATORS AND PARTICIPANTS WHO SHARE THE SAME ENVIRONMENT. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A CONSISTENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCORES OF EDUCATORS AND THOSE OF YOUTHS, THE SCORES OF THE TWO GROUPS SHOW MORE PRONOUNCED DIFFERENCES, IN INSTITUTIONS WHERE YOUTHS PERCEIVE CONTROL TO BE STRONG, SUGGESTING A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GROUPS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT CONTINUING SELF-EVALUATION BY INSTITUTIONS, USING THIS METHOD, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO TRACE THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, AND THUS TO JUDGE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SOCIAL CLIMATE IN ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE UNIT AND THE INSTITUTION. FIVE TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. --IN FRENCH. (INL)