NCJ Number
49451
Date Published
1977
Length
162 pages
Annotation
TWO PROJECTS IN SWEDEN USED POLICE AS RECREATION LEADERS TO DETERMINE EFFECTS ON JUVENILES' ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, CRIME, LAW, AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. BOTH A DELINQUENT GROUP AND A RANDOM SAMPLE WERE USED.
Abstract
THE FIRST PROJECT, IN SKARHOMEN, WAS CONDUCTED WITH 221 YOUTHS WHO HAD PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH POLICE OR TROUBLE AT SCHOOL. MOST OF THE YOUTHS WERE 10 TO 14 YEARS OF AGE AND WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS: AN INTENSIVE GROUP WHICH PARTICIPATED N THE PROGRAM AT LEAST 20 TIMES, A MIDDLE GROUP WHICH PARTICIPATED FROM 3-19 TIMES, AND A GROUP WHICH PARTICIPATED ONCE OR TWICE. PARTICIPATION WAS VOLUNTARY AND ACTIVITIES INCLUDED SPORTS SUCH AS TABLE TENNIS, WRESTLING AND SOCCER. TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF POLICE-LED ACTIVITIES ON THE DELINQUENT YOUTH, POLICE RECORDS WERE REVIEWED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROJECT. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF RECORDED CRIMES FOR THE PARTICIPANTS OR IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPORTED CRIMES IN THE AREA. IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE EXPERIMENT HAD DIFFERENT EFFECTS UPON VARIOUS SUBGROUPS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE YOUNGER JUVENILES AND THOSE YOUTHS WHO PARTICIPATED TO A GREATER DEGREE. HOWEVER, A NEGATIVE EFFECT WAS NOTICED IN A SMALL GROUP OF PROBLEM BOYS OF WHICH 70 PERCENT WERE REGISTERED WITH THE AUTHORITIES AT LEAST ONCE AFTER THE PROJECT'S INITIATION. THE SECOND PROJECT, LOCATED IN FARSTA, WAS CONDUCTED WITH STUDENTS OF A LARGE SCHOOL. POLICE LED WORK, SPORT, AND HOBBY ACTIVITIES. TWENTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE SCHOOLS' 554 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED. SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE PARTICIPANTS AND WITH THE TEACHERS TO ASCERTAIN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PROGRAM, POLICE, AND TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND CRIME. RESULTS INDICATED POSITIVE REACTIONS TOWARD THE PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH PROBLEM LEVELS WITH THE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL (I.E., TRUANCY AND VANDALISM) DID NOT DECREASE. STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS CRIME DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT USING POLICE AS LEADERS IN RECREATION ACTIVITIES HAD NO SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY LEVELS OR ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THE STUDIES WERE NOT CONCLUSIVE. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND STUDY DATA ARE INCLUDED. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. --IN SWEDISH. (DAG)