The problem of this study is to (1) determine the amount of peer acceptance existing among a group of delinquent girls committed to the Texas State Training School for Girls and (2) to determine the relationships between peer acceptance and some other variables.

This study employed a multivariate, multidimensional approach to understanding psychosocial and personality variables associated with institutional maladjustment and recidivism among youthful offenders. Participants included nine hundred serious and chronic male youthful offenders incarcerated in the Texas Youth Commission (TYC); sample sizes varied by analysis. Empirically-validated psychosocial factors (e.g., intelligence, home approval status), past criminal history variables, and two self-report personality measures of empathy and hostility were entered into hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses to predict institutional behavior and recidivism at one- and three-year intervals after release from the TYC. Confirmatory factor analysis of the personality measures revealed one underlying factor indicative of their theoretical constructs of empathy and hostility. Some differences were noted between youth in the specialized treatment programs; however, effect sizes were small to moderate. Overall, regression and SEM results indicated the variables accounted for a meaningful proportion of the variance in the outcomes. Specifically, although length of stay in the TYC was associated with institutional behavior, younger age of onset, higher hostility, and greater home disapproval also contributed significantly. Past criminal behavior was predictive of future reoffending, but lower empathy, greater home disapproval, and younger age of onset accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in recidivism. Institutional maladjustment served as a mediator between the psychosocial and personality variables and the recidivism outcomes. Treatment implications are provided, including a discussion of the tenuous association between length of sentence and recidivism and an emphasis on the importance of evaluating dynamic personality and psychosocial variables beyond static measures of past behavior.

The problems that gang members create within adult correctional facilities continue to receive attention in the literature. Gang members within juvenile institutions have received far less attention from researchers, and misconduct of these juveniles, both serious and non-serious, is relatively unexplored. This study explored the institutional misconduct of 4,309 male delinquents released from the Texas Youth Commission. Youths younger at commitment, those with a higher TYC risk score, and those youths with emotional problems were found more likely to commit both serious and non-serious institutional misconduct, regardless of gang membership. This thesis concludes with suggestions for additional research on gang members within juvenile institutions and the relationship of gang membership to institutional misconduct.

Life without parole for juvenile offenders is a controversial issue across the globe. Recently, the United States stands alone as the only country in the world that allows juvenile offenders to be sentenced to life time confinement without the possibility of parole. Furthermore, the U.S. has seen an increase in juvenile waivers and blended sentences, which has resulted in harsher penalties for juvenile offenders who have committed serious and violent crimes. This analysis examines scientific evidence that shows juveniles are different from adults in terms of brain development, rational decision making abilities, and maturity levels. These findings have questioned the reasoning behind imposing adult punishment on adolescent behavior. This analysis also presents the legal arguments suggesting that juvenile life without parole is unconstitutional and violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. Arguments for and against life sentences were also presented. This study concludes with a discussion of policy implications, whether the U.S. Supreme Court should abolish juvenile life without parole sentencing practices and explores the possible future direction of juvenile sentencing in the United States.

No description available.

There seems to be common agreement among practitioners and researchers in Criminal Justice that youth who are abused often become participants in the juvenile justice system. The current literature finds considerable evidence to support this position. However, some questions concerning the relationship between child abuse and juvenile delinquency remain. Specifically, how direct, or casual, is the link between the two? Are different groups of youth, such as Hispanic famales uniquely affected?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate resiliency by examining the relationship between coping ability and stressful life events on delinquent behaviors in young adolescents.

The study aims at investigating the emotional and spiritual wellness of juvenile offender learners in a Gauteng correctional school. The theoretical framework used in this study was derived from Hettler’s Wellness theory. The study is embedded in an interpretive paradigm and it followed a qualitative research method. A phenomenological case study was used since the focus was on one correctional school. Purposive sampling was used whereby a teacher, counsellor and learners were sampled and all participated on a voluntary basis. Interviews were used for data collection and approximately 30-45 minutes in duration. Data were analysed manually and findings revealed that peer pressure, substance abuse and poor family background troubled juvenile offender learners. Furthermore, anger and hatred led juveniles to commit crime. They all regret of their actions and they need to be loved, valued, and accepted by the community. Above all, juvenile offender learners want their parents to support them while they are incarcerated. Because of lack of parental support, juvenile offender learners express their emotions through fighting among themselves. After incarceration, many start to believe in God and regularly attend meetings organised by faith-based organisations and because of that, their lives are being transformed for the better, as they are able to read the Bible and share scriptures on their own on a daily basis. They hope the DCS will make spiritual sessions compulsory for all offenders and religious education to be included in their school curriculum to eliminate gangsterism in the centre. Frequent pastoral visits and Bible donations were highlighted as one of the guidelines to support their spiritual needs. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Several risk factors have been identified for adolescent sex offenders and non-sex offenders. Such risk factors include physical and/or sexual abuse, and exposure to community and/or domestic violence. Additionally, the presence of disinhibitive factors, such as substance use and exposure to violent or pornographic media are also commonly reported in the backgrounds of both sex and non-sex offenders. Similarly, adolescent offenders have reported traumatic reactions to environmental factors such as abuse and violence. Similarities in exposure to the risk and disinhibitive factors described above between adolescent sex and non-sex offenders do not provide an explanation for why some adolescents commit sex offenses, whereas other adolescent offenders do not. This study investigated the discriminative ability of traumatic reactions as a risk factor between male adolescent sex and non-sex offenders. The inclusion of traumatic reactions increased the accuracy of risk factors distinguishing between sex and non-sex offenders. Thus, not only the presence of risk factors, but also the adolescent's reaction to the risk factors, are important predictors of whether he will commit a sexual offense.

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Sesotho and Afrikaans / The purpose of the study was to investigate and explore how rehabilitation and wellness of juvenile offenders in selected South African correctional schools can be promoted. A wellness model that can be used to promote the wellness of juvenile offenders was proposed based on the findings of the study. The researcher used the wellness, ubuntu and bio-ecological theories as theoretical frameworks to guide the study. These theories helped the researcher to understand how the promotion of wellness among juvenile offenders can facilitate effective rehabilitation and, ultimately, offender reintegration into society. The interpretive paradigm was employed to understand the experiences and views of juveniles as well as teachers and heads of schools who were directly involved in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. The study used the qualitative research method in which open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data from juveniles and teachers whereas semi-structured interviews were to collect data from heads of schools. Participants were purposefully selected to ensure relevant data was gathered. Twenty-one juveniles, twelve teachers and seven heads of schools took part in the study. Participants were drawn from four provinces and seven schools. Data were analysed qualitatively through coding, categorising and developing themes. Themes that developed from data interpretation were used as headings for the findings in each wellness dimension. Themes that developed from the study revealed that schools were making a great effort to promote the wellness of juvenile offenders. Great strides were made especially in promoting the wellness of juvenile offenders through the involvement of different stakeholders although this was inadequate. Schools were facing challenges such as lack of resources, shortage of skilled personnel as well as inadequate stakeholder involvement. The research proposed a wellness model that is holistic in nature to help teachers and other stakeholders involved in juvenile offender rehabilitation to promote their social, physical, emotional, spiritual, career and intellectual wellness. / Mohola wago bala e be e le go aga lenaneo leo le ka šomišwago ke barutisi le batho ba bangwe mo thekgong ya bana bao ba lego dikolong tsa kgolego (dihlokatsebe). Lenaneo le mohola wa lona ke go dira gore bana ba ba sa hlokomeleng melao ya setšhaba ba bušetšwe gore ba kgone go boela go setšhaba. Basekaseki ba šomiša go hlokomela botho le tša tlhago go tlhatlha dithuto tša bona. Dikakanyo tse di dirišeditšwe go dihloka tsebe le barutiši le dihlogo tša dikolo bao ba bego ba ruta bana ba. Thuto ye e šomišitšwe ke ya maemo a godimo moo go šomišitšwego dipotšišo tšeo di se nago phetolo e tee go hwetša kakanyo ya dihlokatsebe le barutiši. Fela mo gongwe go be go dirišwa dipotšišo go dihlogo tsa sekolo. Bao ba bego ba botšišwa ba be ba kgethilwe gabotse goba go lekaleka gore dikarabo e be tša maleba. Masomepedi a dihlokatsebe, barutiši bašupa le dihlogo tsa sekolo ba ile ba šomišwa go dithuto tše. Bao ba kgethilwego ba be ba tšwa di provensing tše nne le dikolong tše šupa tša kgolego. Dikašišo di ile tša sekasekwa gabotse ka maemo a godimo go šomišwa dinomoro, peakanyo le gore ba kgone go aga maikemišetšo a motheo wo. Motheo wo o agilwe go tšwa go dikakišišo gore re hwetše hlokomelo ya dihlokatsebe. Metheo ye e šomišitšwego e bontšhitse gore dikolong tša dihlokatsebe bana ba be ba latela molao. Gobe go šomišwa le kago ya mmele, go tsošološwa moyeng ya di hlokatsebe go šomišwa batho kamoka. Dikolo di ile tša ba le bothata mo go godišeng dihlokatsebe. Yengwe ya bothata e be e le go hlokega ga dišomišwa le batho bao ba hlahlilwego go ruta dihlokatsebe tše mola gape go be go se na batho bao ba nago le kgahlego. Basekaseki ba ile ba tla le seka sa go hlokomela dihlokatsebe ka go felela le go thuša barutiši le batho bao ba lebanego le dihlokatsebe. Gore go godišwe kgwerano, go godišwe go aga ga mmele, go aga tsošološo ya semoya, go ba aga gore ba be le seo ba kgonago le go aga le go godiša menagano ya bona le tša mešomo. / Die doel van die studie was om ’n welstandsmodel te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word deur onderwysers en relevante belanghebbendes in die bevordering van die welstand van jeugdige oortreders in korrektiewe skole. Die model beoog om te verseker dat jeugdige oortreders doelftreffend gerehabiliteer word en gereed is vir herintegrering in die samelewing. Die navorser het die welstand, ubuntu en bio-ekologiese teorieë as teoretiese raamwerke gebruik om die studie te lei. Hierdie teorieë het die navorser gehelp om te verstaan het die promosie van welstand onder jeugdige oortreders doeltreffende rehabilitasie kan fasiliteer en uiteindelik, oortreders in die samelewing te herstel. Die uitleggende paradigma is aangewend in ’n poging om die ervarings en sienings van die jeugdiges, onderwysers en hoofde van skole wie direk betrokke in die rehabilitasie van jeugdige oortreders is te verstaan. Die studie maak gebruik van die kwalitatiewe navorsings-benadering, waar ope vrae gebruik is om data van jeugdiges en onderwysers te versamel, terwyl semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik is om data van die hoofde van skole te kry. Deelnemers was opsetlik geselekteer om te verseker dat geskikte data versamel is. Een- en twintig jeugdiges, twaalf onderwysers en sewe hoofde van skole het aan die studie deelgeneem. Deelnemers is uit vier provinsies en sewe skole gekies. Data is kwalitatief ontleed deur kodering, kategorisering en ontwikkeling van temas wat gebruik is as opskrifte vir die bevindings onder elke welstands-dimensie. Die ontwikkelde temas het bewys dat skole moeite gedoen het om die welstand van jeugdige oortreders te bevorder. Daar was groot vordering, veral in die bevordering van die fisiese en spirituele welstand van jeugdige oortreders deur die betrokkenheid van verskillende belanghebbendes. Skole het verskillende uitdagings in die gesig gestaar in hul pogings om die welstand van jeugdige oortreders te handhaaf. Sommige van die uitdagings was ’n tekort aan hulpbronne, geskoolde personeel sowel as onvoldoende betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes. Die navorsing stel ’n holisties welstandsmodel voor om onderwysers en ander belanghebbendes te help wat betrokke raak in die rehabilitasie van jeugdige oortreders en bevordering van hul sosiale, fisiese, emosionele, spirituele,loopbaan en intellektuele welstand. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)