Does Family Intervention Work for Delinquents? Results of a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Previous meta-analyses of the correctional treatment literature have demonstrated that family intervention programs for delinquents represent some of the strongest treatment modalities available for this population. However, a recent meta-analysis by Latimer (2001) argued that, although family intervention appears to be effective at first glance, when controls are introduced for the methodological quality of the evaluation, the sizes of the effects decrease substantially, and under the strictest methodological conditions, they ultimately disappear. The present meta-analysis explored the impact of methodological rigour on the findings of evaluations of family intervention programs for young offenders, but attention was paid to the appropriateness of the programs (e.g., whether they adhered to the principles of risk, need, and general responsivity). Although the effects of the program decreased mildly under the strictest methodological conditions, appropriate treatment continued to yield significant mean reductions in reoffending. The implications of these findings for the broader literature are discussed.