This exploratory study seeks to better understand the link between decision-making skills and perceived postdetention success among incarcerated youth. The study uses data derived from surveys administered in 2001 of 197 incarcerated youth in two Nevada youth detention facilities. Results reveal that those youth possessing higher levels of decision-making competence scored higher on a postedetention success scale. This relationship was found while controlling for gender, age, ethnicity, number of arrests, and family conflict. Implications for detention-based education and prevention programming, as well as future research are discussed.
Using a web-based self-report survey, this study examined the characteristics of individuals who worked directly with youth in out-of-school time programs. Specifically, it examined the relationships among intent to continue working in the youth development field and youth program staffs' experience, training, educational background, and selfreported competency in implementing the features of positive developmental settings for youth (Eccles and Gootman, Community programs to promote youth development, 2002). To accomplish this, we also developed a self-report youth worker competency measure and present its psychometric properties. Results suggested that intent to continue working in the youth development field is higher for youth workers who reported higher overall jobrelated competency, received professional development training, reported life experiences similar to the youth with whom they worked, learned aspects of their job from more experienced staff, had adequate supervision and support, and worked in programs where staff were more involved in program decision-making. Results are discussed in terms of the value of training and professional development in retaining frontline youth workers.Keywords Staff retention Á Staff competency Á Frontline youth workers As attention to the value of promoting positive development in youth increases, greater emphasis is being placed on the role of organized community-based out-of-school time programs in that process. Participating in organized activities fosters and supports personal growth among participating youth by providing them an opportunity to interact with peers and adults in their communities (Hirsch 2005;Perkins et al. 2003). As such, the goals of community-based youth programs include not only ameliorating problems associated with various risk conditions and behaviors (e.g., drinking, drugs, delinquency), but also preparing youth to meet other life challenges and make decisions that promote their own
Youths transitioning out of detention are particularly in need of support systems that can divert them from recidivism. This article examines the relationship between incarcerated youths' sense of their families' functioning and their perceived likelihood for postdetention success. Despite the control of background variables, results reveal that delinquents who indicated stronger familial functioning also reported a greater likelihood of future success. Although interventions that focus on improving the supportive capacity of families have shown great promise, treatment drop-out rates remain high. To explore incarcerated youths' view of family focused interventions, respondents rated the potential utility of family and nonfamily focused intervention options. A majority of respondents reported that family focused interventions would be helpful. A group of respondents, overrepresented by adolescents with low family functioning, reported that this type of intervention would not be helpful. These results are discussed in terms of their impact on offering family focused interventions for juveniles.
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