Date of Award

4-1984

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Uldis Smidchens

Second Advisor

Dr. Carol Sheffer

Third Advisor

Dr. Joseph Stoltman

Abstract

This study investigated the propensity toward juvenile delinquency and the social rehabilitation needs of 238 Section 48 alternative education students. The study population was comprised of students from ten Section 48 alternative education programs in Allegan, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa Counties in Michigan. The study also investigated the differences between groups of students within these programs when the independent variables of age, sex, and grade level were compared. The data were collected during one-day visits to each program. The Jesness Inventory was used to measure propensity towards juvenile delinquency and social rehabilitation needs. A t-test that compared a sample means to a constant was utilized to compare the Section 48 student responses on the Jesness Inventory to the norm scores for the inventory. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare differences between Section 48 student scores when the independent variables of age, sex, and grade level were considered.

The research results indicated that there were differences between the mean scores of the study population and the established norm scores in both the areas of propensity toward juvenile delinquency and social maladjustment. These results suggested that the study population had profound needs in these areas. There were also differences between the Social Maladjustment scores of students within the study population when different age groups were considered. Fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen year old students had scores that reflected greater need than seventeen and eighteen year old students. There was also a difference between the Asocial Index scores (propensity toward juvenile delinquency) within the study population when males and females were considered. Males had a greater tendency toward juvenile delinquency than did females.

Implications from these findings for curricular planning were discussed. Appropriate from these findings for curricular planning were discussed. Appropriate coursework and services were suggested by the researcher.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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