Alternative education and ‘off-campus’ units are becoming an increasing focus for Governments as a solution to the rise in behaviour problems in schools. Generally, the national response to the issue has been to promote an inclusive policy aimed at keeping young people in the education system and adapting curriculum to meet young people's needs rather than isolating them. This approach is supported by numerous studies demonstrating the low percentage of young people attending these units who actually return to the mainstream system. However, the Queensland Government is presently considering the development of ‘Off-campus’ education centres for young people with behaviour difficulties in each of the eleven regions throughout the state.
Guidance counsellors and psychologists have an important role in the alternative education scene. Their involvement can be multifaceted and extends into roles of support (student and teacher), intervention, advising, interagency, evaluation, assessment, counselling, referral collection, and so on. The Ipswich Off Campus Unit (OCU) – The Basement – is an alternative education program already existing in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, for long-term truanting young people. The program is jointly funded by the Ipswich Youth Action Group Pty Ltd and the Queensland Department of Education. This paper is based on an evaluation completed in 1993 of the Basement which utilised the Youth Self Report Form (Achenbach, 1991), Teacher Report Form (Achenbach, 1986), Family Review Form, Referral Satisfaction Questionnaire, Community Satisfaction Questionnaire, Observations, Juvenile Bureau Records, Attendance Records and Academic Records. It is proposed that the effects of an alternative school for truanting young people may provide many benefits and some concerns for the participating young person. The most observable change for young people in the program was the increased consistency of attendance rates and the lessening involvement in juvenile criminal activity. To support this contention, further longitudinal research and evaluation of alternative schools and programs for young people is encouraged.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AchenbachT.M., & EdelbrockC.S. (1983). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University Associates in Psychiatry.
2.
AchenbachT.M., & EdelbrockCS. (1986). Manual for the Teacher's Report Form and Teacher Version of the Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
3.
AchenbachT.M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self Report and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
4.
AdairF.L. (1984). Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventories. In KeyserD.J. & SweetlandR. C. (Eds), Test critiques Vol. 1, pp. 226–232.
5.
AlpertG., & DunhamR. (1986). Keeping academically marginal youth in school. Youth and Society, 17(4), 346–361.
6.
American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders (3rd edition). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
7.
BattistichV., SolomonD., WatsonM., & SolomonJ. (1989). Effects of an elementary school program to enhance prosocial behavior on children's cognitive-social problem-solving. Skill and Strategies Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 10, 147–169.
8.
BellG. (1991). Severe behaviour problem students: Options for schools. Sunshine Coast Region Discussion Paper, Queensland.
9.
BellackA.J. (1979). Behavioral assessment of social skills. In BellackA.S. and HersonM. (Eds), Research and practice in social skills training. NY: Plenum Press.
10.
BelmontJ.M., ButterfieldE.C, & FerrettiR.P. (1982). To secure transfer of training instruction in self-management skills. In DettermanD.K. & SternbergR.J. (Eds), How and how much can intelligence be increased?Norwood, NJ: ABLEX.
11.
BlumsteinA., & CohenA.W. (1976). Estimation of individual crime rates from arrest records. A journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 70, 561–585.
12.
BroderP.K., DunivantN., SmithE.C, & SuttonP.L. (1981). Further observations on the link between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 838–850.
13.
CohenA.K. (1955). Delinquent boys. New York: Free Press.
14.
ColliverJ. (1983). Severely disruptive behaviour in secondary schools: A review of causes and school responses. Education Department of Western Australia, Perth.
15.
DainesR. (1981). Withdrawal units and the psychology of problem behaviour. In GillhamB. (Ed.), Problem behaviour in the secondary school. Croom Helm: London.
16.
Department of Education and Science (1978). Behavioural units: A survey of special units for pupils with behaviour problems. HMSO: London.
17.
DeshlerD., SchumakerJ., & EllisE. (1986). Intervention issues related to the education of learning disabled adolescents. In TorgesenJ.K. & WongB.Y.L. (Eds), Psychological and educational perspectives on learning disabilities. New York: Academy Press.
18.
DunhamR., & AlpertG. (1987). Keeping juvenile delinquents in school: A prediction model. Adolescence, 22(85), 45–58.
19.
D'ZurillaT.J., & GoldfriedM.R. (1969). A behavioral-analytic model for assessing competence. In SpeilbergerC.D. (Ed.), Current topics in clinical and community psychology, Vol 1, 21–40.
20.
EliasM.J., UbriacoM., GrayJ. (1988). A cognitive-behavioral analysis of parental facilitation of children's social-cognitive problem solving. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 6, 57–72.
21.
EliasMJ., GaraM., RothbaumP.A., ReeseA.M., & UbriacoM. (1987). A multivariate analysis of factors differentiating behaviorally and emotionally dysfunctional children from other groups in school. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 16(4), 307–312.
22.
ElliottD.S., & VossH. (1974). Delinquency and dropout. Lexington, MA: DC Health.
23.
FischlerG.L., & KendallP.C. (1988). Social-cognitive problem-solving and childhood adjustment: Qualitative and topological analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 12(2), 133–153.
24.
FlavellJ.H. (1981). Social cognitive development: Frontiers and possible futures. George University Press: England.
25.
FlemingP.S., BlankR.K., DentierR. A., & BaltzellD.C. (1982). Survey of Magnet Schools: Interim report for the US Department of Education. Washington, DC: James H. Lowry and Associates.
26.
FoleyE., & CrullP. (1984). Educating the at-risk student: More lessons from alternative high schools. New York: Public Education Association.
27.
FoleyE.M., & McConnaughyS.B. (1982) Towards school improvement: Lessons for alternative high schools. New York: Public Education Association.
28.
FrancisM. (1980). Disruptive units: Labelling a new generation. WHERE, No. 158, 12–14.
29.
GallowayD. (1980). Exclusion and suspension from school. Trends in Education2, 33–38.
30.
GarbarinoJ., SebesS., & SchellenbachC. (1985). Families at risk for destructive parent-child relations in adolescents. Child Development, 55, 174–183.
31.
GilliesJ. (1974). My needs, your needs, our needs. Bergenfield: New Jersey, New American Library.
32.
GlueckF., & GlueckE. (1950). Unravelling juvenile delinquency. New York: The Commonwealth Fund.
33.
GolinvauxJ.P., & JanekselaG.M. (1979). Strategic games in juvenile justice:A perspective on system-client interaction. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 30(3), 49–55.
34.
GrandeCG. (1988). Delinquency: The learning disabled student's reaction to academic school failure?Adolescence, 13(89), 209–219.
35.
HalpernA., & BenzM. (1987). A statewide examination of secondary special education for students with mild disabilities: Implications for the high school curriculum. Exceptional Children, 54(2), 122–129.
36.
Hartford Public Schools (1975). Alternative schools 1973-1974: An evaluation report. Connecticut: Department of Education
37.
HayI., GilmoreS., & LockhartJ. (1991). Alienated, disaffected or disturbed high school adolescents. Unpublished research paper on ALPHA Program, Brisbane.
38.
Inner London Education Authority (1985). School Support Program, No. 51388, ILEA.
39.
KazdinA.E., BassD., SeigalT., & ThomasC. (1989). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Relationship Therapy in the treatment of children referred for antisocial behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(4), 522–535.
40.
KazdinA.E., Esvelt-DawsonK., FrenchN.H., & UnisA.S. (1987). Problem-solving skills training and Relationship Therapy in the treatment of antisocial behavior, fourmi of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 76–85.
41.
KazdinA.E. (1989). Developmental psychopathology: Current research, issues, and directions. American Psychologist, Feb., 180–187.
42.
KazdinA.E. (1987). Treatment of anti-social behavior in children: Current status and future directions. Psychological Bulletin, 102(2), 187–203.
43.
KeilitzI., & DunivantN. (1986). The relationship between learning disability and juvenile delinquency: Current state of knowledge. Remedial and Special Education, 7(3), 18–26.
44.
KendallP.C. (1981). One-year follow-up of concrete versus conceptual cognitive-behavioral self-control training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 748–749.
45.
KnightT. (1985). Schools and delinquency. In BorowskiA. & MurrayM., Juvenile delinquency in Australia. Methuen.
46.
LarsonK.A., & GerberM.M. (1987). Effects of social metacognitive training for enhancing overt behavior in learning disabled and low-achieving delinquents. Exceptional Children, 54(3), 204–211.
47.
LarsonK.A. (1988). A research review and alternative hypothesis explaining the link between learning disability and delinquency. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 21(6), 357–369.
48.
LarsonK. (1989). Task-related and interpersonal problem solving training for increasing school success in high risk young adolescents. Remedial and Special Education, 10(5), 32–42.
49.
LeFloreL., (1988). Delinquent youths and family. Adolescence, 13(91), 5–10.
50.
Leighfield, (1981). Truancy survey. Sunshine High School, Victoria (mimeograph).
51.
LochmanJ.E., BurchP.R., CurryJ.F., & LampronL.B. (1984). Treatment and generalisation effects of cognitive-behavioral and goal setting interventions with aggressive boys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52(5), 915–916.
52.
LoeberR. (1985). Patterns and development of antisocial child behaviour. Annals of Child Development, 2, 77–116.
53.
MargalitM. (1989). Academic competence and social adjustment of boys with learning disabilities and boys with behaviour disorders. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22(1), 41–45.
54.
McConaughyS.H. (1985). Using the Child Behaviour Checklist and related instruments in school-based assessment of children. School Psychology Review, 14(4), 479–494.
55.
MeichenbaumD. (1977). Cognitive behavior modification: An integrative approach. New York: Plenum Press.
56.
MeitzerL.J., RoditiB., & FentonT. (1986). Cognitive and learning profiles of delinquent and learning-disabled adolescents. Adolescence, 11(83), 581–591.
57.
MillsR.C., DunhamR.G., & AlpertG.P. (1988). Working with high-risk youth in prevention and early intervention programmes: Toward a comprehensive wellness model. Adolescence, 13(91), 643–655.
58.
MongonD. (1988). Behaviour unit, maladjustment, and student control. In SleeR., (Ed.), Discipline and schools: A curriculum perspective. Melbourne: Macmillan.
59.
MulvanyJ. (1989). Social control processes, activities and ideologies: The case of school non-attendance in Melbourne. ANZJS, 25(2), August, 222–237.
60.
MurphyD.M. (1986). The prevalence of handicapping conditions among juvenile delinquents. Remedial and Special Education, 7(3), 7–17.
OlczakP.V., ParceliS.R., & StottM.W. (1983). Defining juvenile delinquency: Specificity of the research sample and the right to treatment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 39(6), 1007–1012.
PattersonG.R., & BankL. (1986). Bootstrapping your way in the nomological thicket. Behavioural Assessment, 8, 49–73.
65.
PetersenL., & GannoniA. (1989). Stop, Think, Do: A manual for social skills training with parent and teacher programmes. Melbourne: ACER.
66.
PostC.H. (1981). The link between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency: Cause, effect and ‘present solutions’. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 32, 58–68.
67.
PotasI., ViningA., & WilsonP. (1990). Young people and crime: Cos ts and prevention. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
68.
RaywidM.A. (1982). The current status of schools of choice. Hempstead, NY: Project on Alternatives in Education.
69.
RaywidM.A. (1989). The case for public schools of choice. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa.
70.
ResnickL.B. (1987). Learning in school and out. Educational Researcher, Dec, 13–20.
71.
RichardB.A., & DodgeK.A. (1982). Social maladjustment and problem solving in school aged children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 226–233.
72.
RutherfordR.B.Jr, Michael NelsonC, & WolfordB.I. (1986). Special education programming in juvenile corrections. Remedial and Special Education, 7(3), 27–33.
73.
SchumakerJ.B., HazelJ.S., ShermanJ.A., & SheldonJ. (1982). Social skill performances of learning disabled, non-learning disabled and delinquent adolescents. Learning Disability Quarterly, 5, 388–397.
74.
SchwendingerH., & SchwendingerJ. (1976). Marginal youth and social policy. Social Problems, 24, 184–191.
75.
Scottish Education Department (1977). Truancy and indiscipline in schools in Scotland (Pack Report). HMSO: Edinburgh.
76.
SleeR. (1988). Education action research report. Unpublished paper submitted to the Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service.
77.
TolanP. (1988). Socioeconomic, family, and social stress correlates of adolescent antisocial and delinquent behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 16(3), 317–331.
78.
TrowerP. (1984). Radical approaches to social skills training. New York: Croom Helm.
79.
WehlageG.G. (1983). Effective programs for the marginal high school student. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa.
80.
WestD.J. (1982). Delinquency: Its roots, careers and prospects. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
81.
WheelerV.A., & LaddG.W. (1982). Assessment of children's self-efficacy for social interactions with peers. Developmental Psychology, 18, 795–805.
82.
WilgoshL., & PaitichD. (1982). Ratings of parent behaviors for delinquents from two-parent and single-parent homes. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 28(2), 141–143.
83.
WilliamsonI. (1992). The school support unit: A program for behaviour disordered students – a draft proposal for consideration by interested schools. Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland. Unpublished Paper.
84.
WraggJ. (1989). Talk sense to yourself: A programfor children and adolescents. Hawthorn, Victoria: Australian Council For Educational Research.
ZimmermanJ., RichW.D., KeilitzI., & BroderP.K. (1981). Some observations on the link between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice, 9, 1–17.
