The Effects of a Probation Intervention on Juvenile Offenders' Self-Concepts, Loci of Control, and Perceptions of Juvenile Justice

This article examines the impact of job preparation, short-term outdoor adventure, and family relationships programming on juvenile probationers' self-concepts, loci of control (internal versus external), and perceptions of juvenile justice. Traditional probation services constitute the standard for comparison. After establishing the rationale for selection of the three dependent variables and describing how the intervention addressed these variables, the authors present data derived from a two-factor experimental pretest-posttest design. Results indicate that the intervention did not achieve its intended effects, as measured by self-report scales. This outcome is discussed in relation to program design and evaluation.