A Second Chance: Delinquency Prevention Among Special Education Students

• In Event: Delinquency, Deviance, and Victimization among Students in the United States and Switzerland

Abstract

A qualitative analysis of special education youth who attended school at a recreation center in Brooklyn, NY helps provide an understanding of the relationship between alternative high school education and offending. According to Wang and Fredericks (2014), interventions that aim to improve school engagement may promote positive youth development, including reducing involvement in problem behaviors. This study focuses on youth who were at risk for offending due to poor academic performance and previous delinquent involvement. Prior to attending school at this facility, the individuals were exposed to an environment that put them at risk for delinquency. This investigation provides support for preventative measures for youth conflict and delinquency by placing them in an environment that promotes pro-social behavior.

Author

• Christine S. Barrow, Molloy College