The Effects of Using a Mod versus a Traditional Approach in Communicating with Juvenile Delinquents

Abstract

Communication between a juvenile officer and his delinquent client is frequently a major problem in court and correctional settings. The purpose of the research was to ascertain the differ ing responses of institutionalized juvenile delinquents to young adult interviewers using differing strategies of communications. One pair of interviewers used a traditional approach in which they asked straightforward questions using middle-class language while being well groomed and dressed in a suit and tie. The other pair assumed a mod appearance with beard, medium-length hair, and sport clothes and used the language of the youth sub culture. The latter pair additionally enhanced their communica tion with the juveniles by attempting to relate directly to the boy, a direct result of their facilitative training as described by Carkhuff and Truax.

Twenty boys (10 white, 10 black) a random sample, were interviewed, with half being exposed to the mod pair and half to the traditional pair first. Seven days later each pair interviewed the other half of the sample. All subjects were asked the same basic questions by both pairs of interviewers. Tape recordings were made of each interview so as to ascertain the time and con tent of subjects and interviewers' communications.

Analysis of the tapes indicates that (1) the mod pair was more effective in communicating with the juvenile delinquents than the traditional pair was; (2) the subjects' response time was three times as great for the mod interviews as for the traditionals; (3) the ratio of the subjects' response time to interviewers' response time shows the subjects in the mod interviews were twice as verbal as in the traditional interviews; (4) subjects' answers in both settings were reasonably accurate but those in the mod setting were more detailed and disclosed more information not solicited by the questioners; (5) the white subjects responded to the Mod Squad (in terms of response time) more readily than black subjects; and (6) responses to Traditional questioning elicited no negative comments on the criminal justice system, whereas the Mod Squad questioning brought forth several com ments.

Overall, the data from this pilot project indicate that institu tionalized juvenile delinquents, especially white boys, respond more freely to persons who attempt to relate to the youth life style and who have acquired and used skills that facilitate good communication. Further research should explore the effects of various life styles and levels of communication skills before specific conclusions about each can be made.