Acting‐out Behaviour and Its Significance for the Residential Treatment of Delinquents

SUMMARY A measure of “acting‐out” behaviour in the form of absconding, together with measures of the effectiveness of treatment and quality of intake, were obtained for 66 boys' approved schools. Using correlation techniques it was shown that schools with high levels of absconding were less effective than might have been expected from the standard of their intake (as measured by I. Q. and number of previous court appearances). It was suggested that on the evidence presented “acting‐out” in general is not to be encouraged, although clearly further investigation is required.