| dc.description.abstract | The present study evaluated a newly developed cognitive behavioral program, the Equip
program (Gibbs, Potter & Goldstein, 1995), that focuses on teaching youth to think and act
responsibly through a peer helping approach. The 10-week program, which includes
components of anger management, social skills training and moral development was
implemented with a group of moderate to high risk young offenders in a secure custody facility
in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Equip program was compared to an alternative cognitive
behavioral program currently implemented with young offenders in the Thunder Bay area and a
control group consisting of youth serving probation sentences in the community and receiving
minimal intervention. Pre and post measures o f social skills, cognitive distortions and behavioral
outcomes indicated that relative to the control group. Equip members evidenced significant gains
in overall levels of social skills and skills involved in dealing with peer pressure. Although no
behavioral gains were found, results also revealed clinically significant improvements in
cognitive distortions for the alternative treatment group, providing support for the use of
cognitively based programs with young offenders. | |
