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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
This study by Gentry and Ostapiuk was designed to describe and evaluate how a British youth treatment center's policies and programs for extremely difficult adolescents deal with violence.
METHODOLOGY:
This study, based on lengthy interviews in 1983, provided an in-depth evaluation of the Glenthourne Youth Treatment Centre which combines security, intensive treatment and long-term care for high risk adolescents. A distinction was made between angry and instrumental violence. Instrumental violence was defined as calculated violence used to achieve a particular goal. Angry violence, which is the violence exhibited by most of the adolescents in this study, was defined as violent, impulsive, uncontrolled outbursts.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The Glenthourne Youth Treatment Centre created an internal policy for the management of violence which made a distinction between containment and control of violent behavior and long-term treatment of violent adolescents. There were three main factors detailed which influenced this internal violence management policy. First, the characteristics of the organization, such as the interior design and decoration of the building and the staffing, influenced the overall policies. Each unit at Glenthourne housed 10 youth and had a staff of 12 groupworkers, a Unit leader, a deputy, and psychology and social work support. Second, the organization's theoretical framework greatly influenced internal policy. Glenthourne adopted a social learning theoretical perspective which is primarily concerned with current, observable behavior and the environmental factors which influence and are influenced by that behavior. This theory stressed how behavioral patterns are learned either by direct experience or observation and how aggressive behavior, in particular, is mainly dependent on its consequences. Third, Glenthourne's internal policy was also greatly influenced by external policies such as the Child Care Act (1980) and the Secure Accommodation Regulations (1983). The youth treatment centers have had to comply with many governmental rules and regulations. The two main components of the Glenthourne's internal policy revolved around containment and control of violent behavior and treatment strategies. First, modifying violent behavior was the goal of containing and controlling these violent actions. This was accomplished by separating and isolating the violent adolescent in a Separation Room. The acronym 'A.C.T.' provided guidelines for the positive management of violence: Avoid the problem, Avoid escalation, Control the situation, Contain the behavior, Train the staff, Treat the client. Second, the treatment of the adolescents in Glenthourne was focused on the need for the youth to develop self-control and the need to reward positive behavior and not reward or punish unacceptable behavior. The treatment process involved three stages: assessment, selection of target behaviors, and selection of treatment methods. The assessment involved the observation of the antecedents to the violent incidents, the nature of the incidents, and the consequences of the incidents. The frequency and intensity of the violent incidents were also tracked. The selection of target behaviors for each adolescent varied and often depended on whether the adolescent had been under-controlled or over-controlled in the past. The selection of treatment methods was explained by providing a case study of a 17 year old boy who was often getting into violent fights. The treatment established by this adolescent and his therapist were to improve his ability to deal with conflict situations, to reduce his quick anger, and to reduce his sensitivity to comments about his family.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors concluded that the Glenthourne Youth Treatment Centre provided a valuable model for other institutions and programs dealing with violent adolescents. They suggested that other programs clearly distinguish between containment and treatment and utilize a social learning theoretical perspective. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - England
KW - Countries Other Than USA
KW - Treatment Program
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Treatment
KW - Offender Treatment
KW - Early Adolescence
KW - Late Adolescence
KW - Behavior Modification
KW - Program Evaluation
KW - Correctional Institution Treatment
KW - Correctional Institution Program
KW - Juvenile Correctional Institution
KW - Juvenile Inmate
KW - Inmate Treatment
KW - Juvenile Anger
KW - Anger Management |