Background: Mentoring has drawn substantial interest from policymakers, intervention theorists, and those interested in identifying promising and useful evidence-based approaches to interventions for criminal justice and child welfare outcomes (Grossman & Tierney, 1998; Jekliek et al., 2002). Mentoring is one of the most commonly-used…

Suggests redesigning the solo segment of outdoor programs to maximize the reflective experience of each participant. Discusses the cognitive problems of many young offenders, the component skills of reflection, and the use of individualized preparation or more active, survival-oriented solos to facilitate participants' reflective thinking. (SV)

Program development evaluation should focus on articulating theoretical rationales for program design and activities. To assist the managers of 17 school-based delinquency prevention projects (School Action Effectiveness Study) in developing theories of action, the Program Development Evaluation (PDE) method was utilized. To construct the…

This booklet provides an introduction to the concept of youth involvement and is intended to provide information for those working in the delinquency fields. Traditionally youth involvement has been concerned with making programs more meaningful to youth and in fostering commitment on the part of youth to the goals of a program. This publication,…

A study of self-esteem found no strong evidence that self-esteem is a good thing in its own right or can lead to other benefits. Self-esteem was strongly related to locus of control, self-efficacy, and a general positive attitude but relatively immune to change. Implications for outdoor education programming are discussed. (TD)

The ninth part of a 10-part series, this report was compiled by the Educational Development Center at Wilkes College. The series deals with various aspects of the treatment of delinquents and is intended as a summary of research findings in each of the areas treated. Each report was prepared by a scholar-practitioner and is presented in a way that…

Discusses the formal system of juvenile corrections in one country and describes several correctional facilities in this system. Also presents another system of justice in the country and the influence of traditional sociocultural values on the operation of both correctional practices for juveniles. (RJM)

Article considered the plight of youngsters confined to juvenile correctional institutions and then placed back in the mainstream of life without preparation for the changes they will have to undergo. A project designed to change this situation was presented. (Editor/RK)

This report describes a special, 1-year federally funded project of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma City Public schools, which operated to facilitate the transition of neglected or delinquent youths from state operated institutions to locally operated educational programs. The problems specific to youths in transition…

These materials are intended to provide suggestions for the development of legislation for programs of delinquency prevention and treatment administered by state and local public agencies. Recommendations for both content and language are offered as aids to planning the improvement, coordination or unification of existing law, or on the drafting…

Describes a three-tiered approach that the Omega Boys Club of San Francisco uses to help stop violence among inner-city youth. Essential steps of the plan are to provide appropriate information through effective communication channels, to show youth alternative ways of living that allow them to release their negative behavior, and to teach them…

A benefits-based management approach will enable outdoor adventure therapy programs for male adolescent offenders to be built around desired outcomes such as building connections to community, enhancing self-esteem, and establishing intergenerational relationships. Outdoor programs must maintain informal environments, involve participants in…

Crowded juvenile correctional centers, escalating costs of confinement, and high rates of recidivism have renewed interest in bringing innovative ideas to juvenile aftercare philosophy, practice, and programming. This program summary details an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention initiative designed to assist public and private…

The use of undergraduates (N=57) working on a one-to-one basis with delinquent youths as the change agents in a nonprofessional program which systematically varied training/supervision/intervention components was investigated. Students and delinquents (N=73) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental training/supervision conditions or to a…