NCJ Number
59838
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
IMPLICATIONS OF STUDENT LEARNING DISABILITIES FOR CORRECTIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHER SELECTION AND PREPARATION IN THE PREVENTION OF SCHOOL-RELATED CRIME ARE ADDRESSED.
Abstract
THE RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND TRAINING OF TEACHERS WITH CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND LIFESTYLES SIMILAR TO THAT OF POTENTIAL DELINQUENTS REPRESENT ONE OF THE BEST ALTERNATIVES TO PREVENTING SCHOOL VANDALISM AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. CLASSROOM TEACHERS SPEND MORE TIME WITH POTENTIALLY DELINQUENT YOUTH THAN ANY OTHER ADULTS; THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE LEARNING DISABILITIES, SYMPATHIZE WITH LEARNING DISABLED DEVIANT CHILDREN, AND TAKE POSITIVE STEPS TO REVERSE THE FAILURE SYNDROME EXPERIENCED BY THESE YOUTH WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO COMPETE WITH OTHERS IN A LEARNING SITUATION. GOVERNMENT STUDIES SHOW THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILLION CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY LEARNING DISABILITIES AND THAT BOYS EXPERIENCE SUCH DISABILITIES 4 TO 7 TIMES MORE OFTEN THAN GIRLS. IN CORRECTIONS' STUDIES IN ILLINOIS, COLORADO, AND OHIO, RESULTS SHOW THAT CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES REPRESENT FROM 60 PERCENT TO 90 PERCENT OF THE INSTITUTIONALIZED JUVENILE POPULATION. THE UNION OF EXPERIMENTING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION, OPERATED A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM IN WHICH INMATES AND EX-OFFENDERS BECAME CERTIFIED CLASSROOM TEACHERS IN THE REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ASSISTED OTHER INMATES IN OBTAINING THEIR BACCALAUREATE DEGREES. TRAINING PROGRAMS BASED ON CONTENT ARE NEEDED FOR EX-OFFENDERS EMPLOYED AS TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH YOUTH. A STRUCTURED PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES SEEMS TO BE MOST APPROPRIATE. THE PROBLEM OF SCHOOL VANDALISM IS HIGHLIGHTED IN STATISTICS SHOWING THAT THIS TYPE OF VANDALISM COSTS SCHOOLS APPROXIMATELY $600 MILLION PER YEAR, ENOUGH MONEY TO HIRE 50,000 TEACHERS WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)