Juvenile Delinquency as a Societal Problem and Social Disability: The Therapeutic Recreator's Role as Ecological Change Agent

Authors

  • Wayne W Munson

Keywords:

Juvenile Delinquent, Social Disability, Family-Ecological Systems Approach

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is a serious social problem that causes considerable distress to individuals and society. Efforts on the part of professionals to develop effective strategies to prevent or "cure" adolescent offenders have resulted in short-lived behavior changes and marginal effects on recidivism rates. Inability oftreatments to yield positive results may be due to the durability and variety of serious social disabilities of some adolescent offenders as well as deficiencies in their natural environments. A family-ecological systems approach to therapeutic recreation is suggested as a viable strategy for the rehabilitation of adolescent offenders because of its comprehensive perspective. The therapeutic recreator's role as ecological change agent is outlined, a case study is presented and issues and implications for practice and research are discussed.

Published

1991-04-01

Issue

Section

Regular Papers