Evaluation of a Moral Education Program Teaching Role-Taking Ability to Youth at a Juvenile Training School: Focusing on Those Not Benefiting From the Program

Abstract

The objectives of the present study included implementing a moral education program aimed at promoting role-taking ability in delinquents at a juvenile training school and then examining the effectiveness of the program. Out of an initial group of 20 adolescent boys, the 9 who participated in the entire program (ages 15 to 19 years) were assessed 3 times: before, during, and after the intervention. Developmental progress was found in 5 of those participants: they moved up 1 stage in their role-acquisition ability, and achieved higher scores on a rating scale of adaptive behavior at juvenile training schools. The other 4 participants did not display developmental progress in their role-taking ability, and their scores on the rating scale did not show any meaningful change. Focusing on the juveniles who had not changed when participating in the moral education program, an additional objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between intra-individual factors and the juveniles' reported satisfaction with the program. The results indicated that the number of prior delinquencies was higher for juveniles who had not benefitted from the program than for those who had. Interviews conducted with instructors at the training school confirmed that relationships within the group and personality traits of the participants were associated with the program's effectiveness.