A Preliminary Evaluation of Mindfields: A Self-Regulatory Cognitive Behavioural Program for School-Aged Adolescent Offenders

Abstract

The present research describes the preliminary evaluation of Mindfields, a self-regulatory intervention designed to enhance the development of life skills and self-set goals among school-aged adolescent offenders. Differences between intervention and control participants pre- and post-treatment were assessed using the Mindfields Assessment Battery (MAB). Twenty-four adolescents from a youth correctional facility, youth justice service centres, and alternative education schools (Mage = 14.79, SD = 1.47) were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 18) or a wait-list control group (n = 6). At pre-intervention, there were no significant differences between intervention and control participants. Post-intervention analysis between the two groups revealed that intervention participants reported significant reductions in self-reported delinquency and impulsivity compared to the control group. Moreover, while the pre- to post- intervention scores for the control participants remained relatively stable, the pre- to post-scores for intervention participants indicated significant reductions for pro-delinquency and improvements in self-satisfaction. Preliminary findings are promising and provide evidence for the effectiveness of this new self-regulatory intervention for school-aged adolescents.