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Instructors;” Ratings of Delinquents After Outward Bound Survival Training and Their Subsequent Recidivism
Abstract
-After participating in an Outward Bound survival training course, 60 male delinquents were evaluated by patrol leaders. Successful students-were awarded a certificate and all Ss were then paroled. A significant association was found between nonrecidivism within a 5-yr. period and the awarding of a certificate. Principal components analysis of a 40-item racing scale completed by the patrol leaders yielded six factors. Significant correlations were found between the factor scores of Maturiry, Leadership, and Effort, with nonrecidivism. Results suggest that a rating based on Outward Bound performance can provide a long-term prediction of recidivism. Recent literature concerning delinquency suggests that current correctional system methods may not only be ineffective but may even produce undesirable results (Wolfgang, Figlia, & Sellin, 1972). While one promising alternative is survival training (Kelly & Baer, 1971; Kole & Busse, 1969; Willman & Chun, 1973), chis experience may be valuable not only in prevention but also in the prediction of fume criminal behavior. Although previous long-range predictive scales such as the Glueck Social Prediction Scale have not been greatly successful (Michael & Houck, 1965), perhaps it is because these ratings are based on biographical information rather than close personal observation (Toby, 1965). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between instructors' racings of delinquents during a short-term survival course and subsequent recidivism within a 5-yr. period. Since the patrol leaders have the opportunity to supervise the delinquents under relatively stressful situations, this outdoor environment may be more revealing of future behavioral problems than a home or institutional setting. METHOD Snb jects
... Outward Bound programme participants who did not complete course requirements during the programme had a much higher recidivism rate than those who did (90% versus 30%). (Baer, Jacobs, & Carr, 1975). Performance was therefore a much stronger predictor of recidivism than simple participation. ...
Until very recently, only a few articles in community psychology have addressed the particular problems, needs, and alternatives confronting the rural community psychologist. This chapter addresses the unique difficulties inherent in the development, implementation, and evaluation of traditional and alternative services in rural areas. The key assumption is that the basic problems are not founded in the more obvious hindrances to rural programs (such as fewer professionals or larger geographic areas requiring service) but in the patterns and processes of rural life that professionals, often trained in urban areas or at large universities, are not aware of on initial entrance into rural areas. Programs, models, and original research are described to illustrate the alternatives available to the rural community psychologist.
What Works in Corrections, first published in 2006, examines the impact of correctional interventions, management policies, treatment and rehabilitation programs on the recidivism of offenders and delinquents. The book reviews different strategies for reducing recidivism and describes how the evidence for effectiveness is assessed. Thousands of studies were examined in order to identify those of sufficient scientific rigor to enable conclusions to be drawn about the impact of various interventions, policies and programs on recidivism. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed to further examine these results. This book assesses the relative effectiveness of rehabilitation programs (e.g., education, life skills, employment, cognitive behavioral), treatment for different types of offenders (e.g. sex offenders, batterers, juveniles), management and treatment of drug-involved offenders (e.g., drug courts, therapeutic communities, outpatient drug treatment) and punishment, control and surveillance interventions (boot camps, intensive supervision, electronic monitoring). Through her extensive research, MacKenzie illustrates which of these programs are most effective and why. © Doris Layton MacKenzie 2006 and Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Careful reading of the literature on the psychology of criminal conduct and of prior reviews of studies of treatment effects suggests that neither criminal sanctioning without provision of rehabilitative service nor servicing without reference to clinical principles of rehabilitation will succeed in reducing recidivism. What works, in our view, is the delivery of appropriate correctional service, and appropriate service reflects three psychological principles: (1) delivery of service to higher risk cases, (2) targeting of criminogenic needs, and (3) use of styles and modes of treatment (e.g., cognitive and behavioral) that are matched with client need and learning styles. These principles were applied to studies of juvenile and adult correctional treatment, which yielded 154 phi coefficients that summarized the magnitude and direction of the impact of treatment on recidivism. The effect of appropriate correctional service (mean phi = .30) was significantly (p
This article reviews available evidence regarding the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs to reduce juvenile delinquency. A broad range of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are considered. The conclusions reached from this review are that interventions must be broadly based, extend over long time periods of development, and be assessed with fuller characterization of operational regularities.
The state of the evidence concerning correctional treatment prompts a vast array of differing opinions. One extreme position posits that “nothing works” while the other end of the continuum claims that some programs have very positive effects. The present study surveyed the professional literature appearing between 1975 and 1984 (inclusive) in order to evaluate the current state of knowledge on juvenile correctional treatment. The impact of treatment on recidivism was the primary consideration in a simple ballot-box analysis of reports published in professional journals. The results indicated that juvenile correctional treatment fared no better than in earlier reviews. In general, at least half of the studies reported negative or no impact on recidivism and many of the positive findings were based on dubious, subjective evaluations.
This paper offers a critical re-examination of the prevalent notion of sport as a panacea for juvenile delinquency. By examining the structural and phenomenological set ting of delinquency, the authors suggest that since most conventional sports are institu tional replicas of mainstream society, they are of little value as alternative systems to the delinquent subculture. On the other hand less conventional sport forms falling under the broad rubric Outward Bound because they provide alternative coping strategies to prob lems of personal adjustment and identity, may be a more effective means of reaching and helping delinquent and predelinquent children.
This article describes a follow-up study of 14 adolescent sexual offenders who had attended a community treatment programme. A core component of their treatment included outdoor wilderness group therapy. Interviews were conducted with adolescents and parents and tapped several areas including social skills and peer relationships, victim empathy, cognitive distortions, safety plans and coping with high risk situations, sexual offending cycle, perceived level of risk, intimacy and sexuality. The study also examined the child protection service records of the It adolescents. Data from child protection service computer records showed that none of the adolescents had reoffended. Interviews with adolescents and families focusing particularly on the wilderness component of the programme showed positive changes.
Debate over the effectiveness of correctional treatment has been raging for over a decade. The view that “nothing works” dominates in the mind of the public and relies on many early reviews of the literature for support. The most contemporary approach to analyzing the state of the evidence on correctional treatment is the use of meta-analysis. Meta-analysis is a technique that reanalyzes data found in original research reports and arrives at a common measure for all of the studies. The present analysis of research reports published from 1975 to 1984 does not provide encouraging results. The results show that interventions have little positive impact on recidivism and many appear to exacerbate the problem. Indeed, the analysis in this article could be considered overly lenient in its interpretation of the results. It appears that the earlier evaluations that claim that “nothing works” are close to the conclusion to be drawn from more recent evaluations of juvenile treatments.
Delinquent self-esteem is examined via review of published literature. Subsequent discussion of the delinquency problem is focused on the perceived current trend regarding insufficient considerations granted to the self-esteem paradigm in treatment-prevention programming and apparent neglect of existent programming to appropriately merge significant research findings into viable treatment-prevention programs. Moral reasoning is also discussed as a treatment issue relative to self-esteem. Specific treatment-prevention programming recommendations and considerations are proffered.
The Journal of Park and Recreation Administration
This study presents four-month, one- and two-year follow-up data on 23 participants in the Wilderness Therapy Program for Lifespan Counseling Associates of Dayton, Ohio. All participants were administered self-efficacy behavioral symptoms and locus of control inventories at four months and one and two years following the program. The results suggested a regression to pre-test levels at four months, with a return to the original post-test change levels at one and two years. This study supports the need for follow-up programs to facilitate the generalization of change. Finally, the stability of change is discussed and the need for follow-up research is underscored.
Used quasi-experimental design to assess effects of participation in Outward Bound type program on recidivism of juvenile probationers. Findings indicated one-year delinquency reduction effect confined to youth who successfully completed program. Reduction effects were exhibited for both high- and low-rate offenders but were not found at two-year followup. (Author/NB)
Although it has been a subject of discussion for many years, the relationship between sport and juvenile delinquency has been submitted to empirical evaluation only recently. Results of investigations have demonstrated a negative association between delinquency and participation in a variety of sport settings, nost notably interscholarstic athletics and Outward Bound. However, studies have typically adopted the conventional social facts paradigm which has rendered causal inferences problematic and has lead to restricted interpretations regarding the efficacy of sport as a deterrent to delinquency. To gain further insight into the dynamic processes underlying the association between sport and delinquency new theoretical and methodological perspectives are needed. Specifically, the social definition, social behavior, and Marxian paradigms are endorsed as particularly fruitful pathways to more fully delineate the relationship between sport and delinquency. Several specific procedural techniques, including longitudinal studies, case histories, participant observations, controlled investigations, and sociohistorical analyses are recommended as being relevant to future studies in the area of sport and juvenile delinquency.
Within the context of juvenile justice a distinction can be made between alternatives which are intended primarily to meet rehabilitation goals (e.g., wilderness adventure programs) and alternatives which are intended primarily to meet social control goals (e.g., juvenile training schools). This article begins with a discussion of the similarities and differences between traditional training schools and wilderness programs. The author then provides a brief historical perspective on wilderness programs, followed by an examination of the similarities and differences among the various established wilderness programs. A detailed description of one of the most widely known adventure programs — Vision Quest—is presented. Some of the more critical programmatic factors are reviewed, including, the purposes, nature, content, and evaluations of wilderness programs. The author concludes by calling for more research based on uniform statistics, standardized outcome and recidivism measures, and longitudinal data so valid comparisons of the effectiveness of the various programs can be made.
Describes the evolution of techniques used in 16 groups for boys, 10 through 13 yr., 1968 through 1980, from a loosely structured format, incorporating behavioral reinforcets, into a highly structured, psychoeducational package that had some success in eliminating aggressive, disruptive behavior and substituting more controlled, cooperative actions. Reinforcers were initially S & H Green Stamps and over time, privileges, toys and recreational activities were added. Game techniques, tapes, role playing, and psychoeducational activities were emphasized, and a group identification fostered. Over 100 boys completed these groups. Statistical data in later groups indicated that empathy and feeling sensitivity significantly improved. Therapists' rating of “improved” were in the 60 to 70% range.
The wilderness camp has been described as a particularly good setting for treatment of the emotionally disturbed child. This articles summarizes the current literature on therapeutic camping, including the nature of existing programs, rationales for the superiority of camping as a therapeutic program, and evaluation of existing programs. The results of program evaluation research reported in the literature provide only minimal support for any particular effectiveness ascribed to therapeutic camping in terms of either short term or long term therapeutic outcome. This is seen to be largely due to inadequate investigation of the process and/or the outcome of therapeutic camping.
This paper highlights the strengths and notes the deficits in recent drug abuse prevention research design. Then it recommends that future studies include: (1) a longer follow-up period than 2 years, (2) a population "at risk" for drug abuse, (3) a "natural setting," (4) random assignment to program and nonprogram groups, and (5) objective drug use interviews along with unobtrusive measures of the correlates of drug abuse. The rationale behind each recommendation is discussed. © 1978 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.
Multiple telephone follow-up interviews have been conducted for a number of years for boys with conduct disorders treated at the Saint Francis Academy. These follow-ups are done 2 years and 5 years after treatment completion and again after the boy's 24th birthday. An overall appropriate adult functioning (AAF) score is obtained for each boy contacted. Because the attrition rate is very low, these data provide an opportunity to investigate the stability of treatment effects over time. A substantial attempt was made to investigate the possibility that mean group changes in AAF over time might be due to differential attrition effects. Two separate analyses indicated that an attrition effect was not a major influence in AAF score changes. AAF was relatively stable between the 2- and 5-year follow-ups and showed some improvement.
Changing the focus of an adolescent day treatment program from individual-oriented to family-oriented at an institution in Green Bay, Wisconsin, reduced the number of adolescents placed out-of-home after discharge and changed problematic behavior sooner.
Two pilot Potential Unlimited Programmes (PUPs) were examined to determine participant outcomes related to adjustment to acquired brain injury (ABI) and to investigate the contribution of the group work component of the programme. A mixed qualitative and quantitative longitudinal design was employed with 14 participants and a demographically matched comparison group of eight respondents. Results showed significant and sustained improvement in participants' subjective quality of life. Analysis of interview data provided insights into how the programmes provided opportunities for participants to engage in key tasks of adjustment to injury. Participants who regularly attended the follow-up group stages of the programmes made significantly greater gains than non-attendees. In conclusion, the combination of outdoor experiential education with extensive group work found in the PUPs is likely to represent a unique and powerful approach for addressing many of the issues associated with the process of psychosocial adjustment to injury and restoring quality of life, following ABI.
A study was conducted to determine whether a program of severe physical challenge can be more effective than a traditional training school experience in reducing further delinquency by adolescent boys adjudicated delinquent. Effectiveness was meas ured by comparing the recidivism rates between two matched groups. An experimental group (N=60) attended Outward Bound schools while a comparison group (N=60) was treated in a routine manner by the Massachusetts Division of Youth Serv ice. One year after parole, the recidivism rates for the two groups were compared. Only 20 per cent of the experimental group recidivated, as opposed to 42 per cent of the comparison group. Background variables such as age of first court appearance, pres ence of both parents in the home, first institutionalization, and type of offense were important conditions affecting recidivism. The results suggest that for some delinquents a program such as Outward Bound, which presents a severe physical challenge, is a desirable alternative to traditional institutional care and should be considered as a model for improving current correc tional programs. It appears that those delinquents who are re sponding to an adolescent crisis rather than to a character defect would profit most from such a program.