Her research interests include at-risk children and adolescents, mental health in adolescents and adults, cognitive-behavioural interventions, and self-regulation.
This research investigated the reliability and validity of the Mindfields Assessment Battery (MAB), measuring three components of self-regulation (forethought, performance control, self-reflection) of young offenders. Participants were 57 12- to 18-year-olds from youth justice service centres, alternative education schools, and a youth correctional facility (Nmales = 46; NIndigenous = 7). Psychometric properties of the battery were sound with adequate alpha levels for the scales. The factor structure and internal reliability of three measures were replicated and validated. Positive significant correlations found between these subscales indicated consistent relationships with young people's responses to challenging situations. Prodelinquency scores were significantly positively correlated with minor misdemeanours and negatively correlated with social competency. Significant positive correlations were found between social competence and goal commitment, and self-regulation and life satisfaction. The battery provides a reliable, valid way of assessing forethought, performance control, self-reflection, and treatment amenability within the conceptual framework of self-regulation.
patterns and behaviours although young people who were heavy substance users were more likely to modify their behaviours than those who were light substance users. Unfavourable family dynamics were linked to program effectiveness as were external pressures from family members and the courts, both tending to influence engagement and program success unfavourably.
The present research describes the preliminary evaluation of Mindfields, a selfregulatory intervention designed to enhance the development of life skills and self-set goals among school-aged adolescent offenders. Differences between intervention and control participants pre-and post-treatment were assessed using the Mindfields Assessment Battery (MAB). Twenty-four adolescents from a youth correctional facility, youth justice service centres, and alternative education schools (M age = 14.79, SD = 1.47) were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 18) or a wait-list control group (n = 6). At pre-intervention, there were no significant differences between intervention and control participants. Post-intervention analysis between the two groups revealed that intervention participants reported significant reductions in self-reported delinquency and impulsivity compared to the control group. Moreover, while the pre-to post-intervention scores for the control participants remained relatively stable, the preto post-scores for intervention participants indicated significant reductions for pro-delinquency and improvements in self-satisfaction. Preliminary findings are promising and provide evidence for the effectiveness of this new self-regulatory intervention for school-aged adolescents.
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