Group Contingencies to Increase School and Project Attendance in At-Risk Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Abstract The current study employed a group contingency in order to increase school and project attendance in a group of 10 at-risk male adolescents. The participants were already attending a youth diversion project designed to reduce criminal and antisocial behaviors. The group contingency was based on the fantasy football model (an interactive, virtual competition in which participants assemble an imaginary team of real life footballers and score points based on those players' actual statistical performance or their perceived contribution on the field of play). Each participant was captain of their team which was comprised of 4 other participants, hand chosen by them. The teams gained points for meeting certain behavioral targets and lost points for engaging in targeted behaviors. Overall, a significant increase in school and project attendance was noted from baseline to intervention. This pilot study indicates that group contingencies may prove useful in targeting behavior change in adolescent populations. Keywords: group contingencies, behavior management, at-risk adolescents, fantasy football, young offenders ********** In recent years, most developmental crime prevention efforts have targeted early risk factors for offending. Risk factors are prior factors that increase the risk of occurrence of the onset, frequency, persistence, or duration of offending (Kazdin, Kraemer, Kessler, Kupfer, & Offord, 1997). A systematic comparison of two longitudinal surveys in London and Pittsburgh (Farrington & Loeber, 1999) showed numerous replicable predictors of delinquency over time and place, including impulsivity, attention problems, coming from a broken family, poor parental supervision, parental conflict, an antisocial parent, a young mother, large family size, low family income, and low educational attainment. A number of studies have explored the link between time spent in school and contemporaneous crime (Gottfredson, 1985; Farrington, Gallagher, Morley, St. Ledger, & West, 1986; Witte & Tauchen, 1994). These researchers concluded that time spent in school significantly reduces criminal activity. Early school leavers have a higher risk of committing or being convicted of a crime. Research in the United States, for example, indicates higher incarceration rates among high school dropout males than among other groups (Arum & Beattie, 1999; Lockner & Moretti, 2004). In the Republic of Ireland, where the current study was conducted, there is little systematic information available on the educational profile of offenders or prisoners but smaller studies reveal patterns similar to those in the United States. A sample of prisoners in Mountjoy Prison, a medium security prison located in Dublin, (O'Mahony, 1997) indicated that 80% had left school before they were 16 years of age. In Ireland, under the Children Act (2001) young offenders are given the opportunity to enter projects that try to support participants to engage in prosocial behavior and encourage them not to reoffend. One such project is the Youth Diversion Project, the aim of which is to prevent young offenders in Ireland from entering into the full criminal justice system by offering them a second chance. The intended outcome is to divert young people from committing further offenses. Young persons who commit offenses or otherwise come to the attention of the police may be dealt with through the Diversion Project. The Diversion Project has proven to be highly successful in diverting young people away from crime by offering guidance and support to juveniles and their families (Centre for Social and Educational Research, 2001). The current study was conducted in a youth diversion project located in Dublin's inner city and employed group contingencies with a male adolescent population. Group contingencies differ from other operant strategies in that the behavior of one or more group members determines the consequences received by at least one other member of the group. …