An Experiment in Group Counseling with Juvenile Parolees

Abstract

A juvenile parolee most often returns to the same environment that initially gave rise to his delinquent behavior. Efforts to modify this environment, particularly the family, are often futile. Therefore, an effort was made to modify the youth's perception of his environment through the manipulation of his peer group.

The program of group counseling and the underlying assump tions are discussed, and certain of the techniques employed are described. Among these are role-playing, individual counseling, and actual instruction and practice in specific aspects of social interaction.

This experiment suggests that parolees respond positively to this type of group counseling and that the use of the group facilitates the process of modifying the youths' attitudes and behavior.