Turning the Tide of Male Juvenile Delinquency: The Ocean Tides Approach

"Grebstein and Van Wyk set a stellar example for parents to provide structure and enriching positive experiences for teen children. Staff and administrators shaping a delinquency program or generating new ideas for organization and program structure would find this book useful... The authors present a wonderfully nuanced explanation of the differential impact of trauma and predictors of criminal behavior... With such a poor prognosis for many juvenile delinquents, we applaud Ocean Tides for offering a viable alternate path to these young men and educating other professionals on how to follow their lead."

--Juanita N. Baker and Julie S. Costopoulos, PsycCRITIQUES

Research evidence now supports the prediction that juvenile delinquents fare significantly better in rehabilitative programs than in youth prisons or home confinement. This book constitutes a groundbreaking, how-to roadmap for developing and implementing an effective rehabilitative program for delinquent youth. Based on a landmark study on the treatment of juvenile delinquents, the book describes a multidisciplinary approach toward solving social problems and illustrates how an integrative model of family counseling can be applied in a residential setting. This program hones the most effective strategies into a single unified evolutionary approach to rehabilitation that will be useful to psychologists, social workers, counselors, and students working with juvenile delinquents.

The authors have culled information from sociology, psychology, criminology, and social justice to explain why juveniles commit crimes and have developed strategies toward rehabilitation that directly address the causes. Analyzing data that spans 31 years from a large study of youth offenders that incorporates information from multiple sources, they describe in detail how this model residential treatment and education program provides a viable alternative to youth prison. Chapters address the historical context for present-day treatment of juvenile delinquency and the main components of the program at Ocean Tides, including its underlying philosophy, detailed descriptions of effective interventions, practical strategies for interviewing and working with adolescent male juvenile delinquents, and training programs that can be used in other settings. The book also includes new and important data on the effects of family violence and includes descriptions of how outside consultants can be used to inform treatment and rehabilitation.

KEY FEATURES:

• Describes a proven, multidisciplinary approach to significantly reducing violent behavior among juveniles
• Based on a landmark study of an effective rehabilitative program
• Includes new and important data on the effects of family violence
• Guides professionals in replicating the success of the Ocean Tides program
• Provides readers with practical strategies for interviewing and working with adolescent male juvenile delinquents