The Effects of a Multi-Facetted Intervention on the Offense Activities of Juvenile Probationers

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated whether expanding juvenile court services to include job preparation, outdoor experiential, and family skill building components would significantly reduce the offense activities of probationers in comparison to the effects of traditional probation supervision. The intervention sought to curtail illegal activities by enhancing integration to conventional social institutions as well as by transforming the negative influence of the delinquent peer group. Client attendance and participation were monitored throughout the project. Self-reported delinquency and official offense data derived from a two-factor experimental pre-test-posttest design indicated that the intervention failed to yield the desired effects over an 18 month follow-up period. The only significant result was the finding that select experimental subjects with extensive backgrounds of crime displayed fewer offenses during the follow-up than did select control subjects with comparable backgrounds. Findings are discussed with reference to theory, and implications for further program development are examined.