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Theoretical Perspective on Juvenile Intervention Programs - Discussion

NCJ Number
70546
Journal
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Volume: 347 Dated: (June 20, 1980) Pages: 218-222
Author(s)
L P Mos
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article sketches a theoretical perspective to evaluate intervention programs aimed at delinquency prevention and control, and reports results obtained by a study (Finckinauer et. al.) of the Juvenile Awareness Project Help (JAPH).
Abstract
The study found that the JAPH did not influence juveniles' attitudes towards justice, law, the police, prison, punishment and self, or towards punishment and obedience; however, the project did result in more negative attitudes toward crime. More significantly, the project did not prevent or control subsequent delinquency. In fact, there was some evidence of an increase in delinquency and severity of delinquency following JAPH intervention. The intent of the JAPH program is to prevent or control delinquency by impressing upon juveniles certain possible consequences of incarceration, such as aggressive and sexual assaults committed by inmates against the newly-incarcerated. The impact of the program is presumably heightened by the fact that it was initiated and conducted by inmates ('lifers') in a prison. Based upon a complex theory of behavior acquisition, it is maintained that beliefs acquired on the basis of the lifers' instructions are unlikely to affect the juvenile's self-identity because lifers are neither 'significant others,' nor representatives of community institutions, and are themselves unsuccessful in maximizing their opportunities and gratification. It is not surprising then that there wre no attitudinal effects relating to 'law,' 'justice,' 'self,' etc., since beliefs about these are acquired as either prescriptions or anticipations. According to the theory of behavior (prescriptive or anticipated) acquisition, if the juveniles' attitudes towards the 'self' had in fact changed, there might have been some basis for expecting attitudes toward police, prison, and punishment, etc., to have changed. The fact that exposure to JAPH intervention did appear to increase delinquency (boomerang effect) can perhaps be explained by the fact that the content of the community-sanctioned program is at variance with community prescriptions. Two references are appended.