Cited controversy in the literature to illustrate that the failure to replicate research findings and develop successful rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders is due to methodological imprecision. Discussed this in light of recent "right to treatment" legislation and proposed a model for specifying the characteristics of the…

Objective: This study describes the development of an engagement scale for use with youth in residential treatment centers. Engagement includes attitude about treatment, bond with providers, and participation in treatment activities. Method: Interview data were collected at the midpoint in residence of 130 youth in two centers. Items were selected…

This guide is designed to assist programs in developing, expanding, or improving restitution activities for juvenile offenders. The guide is divided into five major sections. Part I focuses on the most fundamental decisions for restitution programs: program philosophy and goals, organizational structure, location within the juvenile justice…

Study (a) investigated differences in demographic variables, previous delinquent/criminal behavior variables, family system variables, juvenile court system variables, and subsequent delinquent behavior variables between court-involved juvenile delinquent youth who did and did not receive services; and (b) created a predictive model that would…

This short report provides a brief description of a research project presenting an alternative approach to delinquency treatment. Achievement Place is a family-sized residential treatment home for predelinquent and delinquent youngsters. Six to eight boys, aged 12-16, live in a renovated house located in their own community. A specially trained…

Describes an innovative Youth Services Program, an operational unit of the Dallas Police Department, which has drastically reduced the rearrest/recidivism rate for juvenile offenders. The program teaches three basic skills: physical fitness, interpersonal skills and study skills. (HMV)

Presents issues and research concerning the assessment and education of incarcerated juvenile offenders. Summarizes the special needs and problems of this population, examines programs and offender characteristics, and suggests an evaluation outline. Proposes an evaluation model for use in juvenile educational programming and offers suggestions…

The relationship between sport and juvenile delinquency has been submitted to empirical evaluation only recently. The social facts, social definition, social behavior, and Marxian paradigms have all been used to explore this relationship. Future directions for research are explored. (Author/DF)

Videotaped models and role playing were investigated for their effects on delinquents' interpersonal behavior at school and their group home. Experimental subjects improved more than controls during the group home videotapes period, but was not maintained. No effect of the school videotapes was found, possibly due to a ceiling effect. (NG)

Although geographically specific, this report is intended to serve as an educational resource for community, agency, and legislative personnel regarding the impacts created by revised legislation about children and the approaches used to improve the quality of justice for young people and their families. It is based on changes made in the juvenile…

A role theory model of consultation in adolescent group homes is explored. An appropriate degree of role distancing and an interactional focus of (a) resident relationships, (b) staff relationships, and (c) staff/resident relationships are explained. (Author)

Data from two juvenile correctional facilities indicate that the deprivation model is a better predictor of adaptation to confinement for males than is the importation model. For females, variables from both deprivation and importation models have a significant impact. (Author)

This issue of "The Link" newsletter contains the following articles: (1) Evidence-Based Practice: Developing a New Business Model from the Inside Out (Jeremy Kohomban, Paul Schiller, and Patricia O'Gorman); (2) The School to Prison Pipeline and Criminalizing Youth: Costs, Consequences, and Alternatives (Marsha Weissman); (3) Group Homes Appear…

The author discusses the tendency of reformers of juvenile justice to equate change with effectiveness, and warns against repeating this error. He believes that collaboration between program and research personnel is essential in these programs. A juvenile justice model which integrates research and evaluation, clarifying the functions of each and…

This report summarizes the mass of information dealing with delinquent and neglected children. The first chapter discusses characteristics that identify neglected and delinquent youth with an emphasis on social and emotional maladjustment. The second chapter reviews cultural and environmental factors related to delinquency. The author investigates…