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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The intent of this article by Spence and Marzillier was to assess the effectiveness of a Social Skills Training (SST) program on five adolescent male offenders.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a quasi-experimental design by pre- and post-testing five adolescent males who were under treatment at the Tennal Regional Assessment Center in Birmingham, England. Four target skills were identified for each of the subjects, with 2-3 sessions dedicated to each skill. Methods of training included instruction, modeling role-playing, videotaped feedback, target setting, and social reinforcement. Baseline measurements of social skill levels were gathered prior to treatment, during the course of the training, and 3-4 weeks after the training. Assessments were made on the basis of a staff questionnaire (which identified different aspects of social behavior with adults and peers), a self-report questionnaire (which contained a list of 60 statements concerning social interaction difficulties) and a direct behavioral observation (which measured 32 specific social skills via videotaped conversations between each subject and a previously unknown adult). Reliability of the behavioral measures was achieved by employing two independent observers who examined four five-minute interactions on five behavior targets: eye contact (amount of time the subject looked directly at the trainer), time spent fiddling (amount of time the subject was moving his hands to tap, scratch, stroke or otherwise move in ways unrelated to conversational gesturing), appropriate head movements (number of head nods or shakes), acknowledgments (number of verbal affirmations of listening such as "mm" and "ah ha"), and question-type feedback responses (number of question responses per minute such as "Oh?" and "really?").
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
1) Eye contact: all subjects demonstrated a significant increase (p<.05). The two week follow-up indicated a slight return to baseline levels, but with rates that were still considerably higher than the baseline. 2) Fiddling movements: significant improvements were made for four of the subjects (p<.05), with the follow-up data indicating only a slight return to baseline levels for one of the subjects. 3) Appropriate head movements: because slight increases occurred during the baseline measurements, with only slight increases thereafter, no conclusions could be drawn. 4) Acknowledgment and question-type feedback: increases occurred among two of the subjects, but not to a significant level, with little change in the one other subject that was available for post-testing. Among the 10-point staff questionnaire ratings, two subjects demonstrated no change with a one, two, and three point increase for the remaining three subjects. Among the independent raters' scores, increases were not significant, although each subject demonstrated an increase on social skills performance, social anxiety, and friendliness.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors recommended that further assessments were required to determine the long-term effects of SST programs.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - England
KW - Countries Other Than USA
KW - Training Program
KW - Juvenile Behavior
KW - Juvenile Problem Behavior
KW - Juvenile Prosocial Behavior
KW - Prosocial Skills
KW - Social Skills Training
KW - Social Skills Development
KW - Behavior Intervention
KW - Intervention Program
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Male Offender
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Behavior Modification
KW - Program Effectiveness
KW - Program Evaluation |