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TREATMENT OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS - MODEL FOR MATCHING ACCORDING TO CONCEPTUAL LEVEL

NCJ Number
46030
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 11, Dated: (1978) Pages: 46-64
Author(s)
R BRILL
Date Published
1978
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A MODEL FOR PLACING YOUNG DELINQUENTS IN AN ENVIRONMENT SUITABLE TO THEIR CONCEPTUAL LEVELS IS PRESENTED AND TESTED.
Abstract
THE MODEL DEFINES THREE STAGES OF CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT AS FOLLOWS: (A) THE PERSON IS SELF-CENTERED, LACKS ORGANIZATION, AND REJECTS CULTURAL STANDARDS; (B) HE ACCEPTS SOCIAL NORMS AND VALUES AND RELIES ON AUTHORITY WHEN MAKING DECISIONS; (C) THE INDIVIDUAL TENDS TO DEPEND LESS ON AUTHORITY FIGURES AND MORE ON HIMSELF WHEN MAKING DECISIONS. TO CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF A YOUNG DELINQUENT, ONE MUST FIRST PRESCRIBE AN ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK WHICH MATCHES HIS CONCEPTUAL LEVEL. A CLIENT AT THE FIRST STAGE WOULD REQUIRE MAXIMUM STRUCTURE IN HIS ENVIRONMENT, WHEREAS CLIENTS AT THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES WOULD REQUIRE LESS STRUCTURE AND MORE ENCOURAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-UNDERSTANDING. A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING 43 BOYS DIVIDED INTO 4 GROUPS. TWO GROUPS WERE MATCHED ACCORDING TO CONCEPTUAL LEVELS (A) AND (B) AND TWO SUBGROUPS OF FOUR BOYS EACH WERE PLACED IN NONMATCHING ENVIRONMENTS. THE HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT MEMBERS OF MATCHED GROUPS WOULD SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OVER A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS, BASED ON THEIR RECORDS. THIS PERIOD WOULD BE SPENT IN PART IN AN INSTITUTION, AND IN PART IN THE COMMUNITY. FAILURE WOULD BE MARKED BY MISBEHAVIOR, RETURN TO THE INSTITUTION FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND RUNNING AWAY. THE RESULTS WERE MOST DECISIVE FOR (A) STAGE CLIENTS IN AN UNMATCHED ENVIRONMENT: THEY EXHIBITED TWICE AS MANY INCIDENTS OF MISBEHAVIOR AS DID THEIR MATCHED COUNTERPARTS. MEMBERS OF SUBGROUP (B) WHO WERE NOT MATCHED TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT DID NOT DIFFER AS MARKEDLY FROM THEIR MATCHED COUNTERPARTS. ANOTHER STUDY IN WHICH THE MODEL WAS APPLIED BY MATCHING CONCEPTUAL LEVELS OF THERAPEUTIC PERSONNEL AND THEIR CLIENTS DEMONSTRATED DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT FOR MATCHED SETS. THIS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT (1) BY APPLYING THIS THEORY, INSTITUTIONS OF VARIOUS TYPES COULD PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTS SUITED TO PARTICULAR NEEDS AND CONCEPTUAL LEVELS, THUS MAXIMIZING THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE; (2) WHEN PRESCRIBING TREATMENT FOR A YOUNG DELINQUENT, CONSIDERING THE PROPER ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURE WOULD LEAD TO BETTER RESULTS; (3) THIS MODEL CAN BE COORDINATED WITH OTHER THERAPEUTIC RESOURCES SUCH AS TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS TO ESTABLISH A BETTER FRAMEWORK OF APPLICATION. SEVEN TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (INL)

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