Positive Approaches Positive Approaches to Address Delinquent to Address Delinquent

Behaviors in AdolescentsBehaviors in Adolescents

University of Houston Clear Lake

Counseling Program

November 29, 2004

Marilyn Lupton

Counselors Need to Provide Counselors Need to Provide Training to Teachers and Training to Teachers and

AdministratorsAdministrators

To recognize at-risk behaviors so they can refer students who have early warning signs of delinquent behavior

To recognize and refer students who are having problems in school

Children Who Are At-Risk for Children Who Are At-Risk for Delinquency Generally have Delinquency Generally have

Multiple Sources of Risk Multiple Sources of Risk

Risk Factors - School and Risk Factors - School and CommunityCommunity

Poor Academic Performance Low Academic Aspirations Failure to Bond at School Living in a Poor Family Neighborhood Disadvantage Concentration of Delinquent Peer Groups Access to Weapons (R. Loeber and D. Farrington,

2003)

Risk Factors – Peer GroupsRisk Factors – Peer Groups

Association with Deviant PeersPeer Rejection (R. Loeber and D.

Farrington, 2003)Unstructured socializing with peers without

authority figures present (Osgood, W. and Anderson, A. 2004)

Risk Factors - FamilyRisk Factors - Family

Poor Parenting SkillsMaltreatmentFamily ViolenceDivorceFamilial Antisocial Behaviors ((R. Loeber

and D. Farrington, 2003)

Risk Factors - MediaRisk Factors - Media

Violence on television – The average child has viewed more than 10,000 hours of violence on television by the time he or she is 12 years old. (D’Andrea 2004)

Violent video games

The Counselor can do the The Counselor can do the Following to Help Students and Following to Help Students and

the Family:the Family:Focus on building social and emotional

strengths that are incompatible with antisocial behavior

Focus on parent education (D. Smith 2004)

Educate the FamilyEducate the FamilyTeach how to negotiate family rules and

consequencesTeach alternatives to aggression as a

disciplinary strategy Teach parents how to nurture and

communicate effectively with childrenTeach problem solving skills (D. Smith

2004)

Enhance Students’ Social and Enhance Students’ Social and Emotional SkillsEmotional Skills

Teach students how to recognize and identify internal feeling states such as anger, disappointment, fear, and exhilaration.

Teach awareness of others feelings such as empathy and understanding others’ points of view (D. Smith 2004)

Teach Students How to Manage Teach Students How to Manage Difficult EmotionsDifficult Emotions

AngerFrustrationResentmentGuilt Despair (D. Smith 2004)

Teach Methods of Resolving Teach Methods of Resolving ConflictsConflicts

Conflict Resolution TrainingMediation Training (D. Smith 2004)

Teach and Practice Motivation Teach and Practice Motivation TechniquesTechniques

ExtrinsicIntrinsic (D. Smith 2004)

These Skills, Strategies, and These Skills, Strategies, and Techniques will Help Students: Techniques will Help Students:

Cope with environmental stressorsBuild competenciesImprove life skills (M. DeAndrea, 2004)

BibliographyBibliography

Aspy, C. (2004). Adolescent violence: The protective effects of youth assets. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82 268-276.

D’Andrea, M. (2004) Comprehensive school-based violence prevention training: A developmental-ecological training model. Journal of Counseling Development, 82.

Loeber, R., & Farrrington, D. (2003) Risk and protective factors of child delinquency Child Delinquency Bulletin.

Osgood, W., & Anderson, A., (2004) Unstructured socializing and rates of delinquency. Criminology, 42 (3) 519 +.

Smith, D. (2004) Toward a positive perspective on violence prevention in schools: Building connections. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82 287-293.