NCJ Number
72139
Date Published
1976
Length
128 pages
Annotation
To determine the effect on social change and status offenders of the systems approach to delinquency prevention, this study examined interagency linkages and delinquency among status offenders in the Salt Lake City area.
Abstract
Salt Lake County was one of 92 youth services projects using the systems approach. This approach was based on the belief that all institutions affecting youth are interrelated and that programs affecting youth must consider all parts of the system. In Salt Lake City, the systems approach was designed as a means of diverting status offenders from the juvenile justice system. For the present study, a systems development instrument was designed to assess the extent to which Salt Lake County's youth services system was coordinating and integrating its services, actions, and planning and policy development efforts. In addition, effects on status offenders were assessed. A total of 600 staff members at 12 main county agencies were interviewed twice, at 6-month intervals, to determine changes over time. Results indicated that social change had occurred in the agencies in terms of their orientations to youth develoment and delinquency prevention. In addition, both acceptance of the system approach and efforts to coordinate services between agencies increased between the pretest period and the posttest phase. Juvenile court intake for status offenses declined by more than 70 percent. A total of 94 percent of all status offenders referred to the system for help returned home within 6 weeks. The recidivism rate was low. Additional research on the effect of negative labeling on status offenders and on related topics is recommeded.