D elinquency: At-Risk Project Christy Youngs-Colón Michelle McCree Debra Vance Noelk

Warm-Up Pair Share: Have you had a student in the past (or now) who you wonder what negative road life will lead them down? How did/do you work to communicate with that student? Was/Is there parental support in place? Was/Is the child actively involved in the community or school?

Your thoughts on… What is considered delinquent behavior? Who is most at-risk to develop delinquent behaviors? What preventative factors do we currently have in place? What is our role as educators?

Delinquent Behaviors Different parties (parents, educators, mental health counselors, and the justice system) consider various behaviors a form of delinquency. Common behaviors include: Truancy Violence Running away from home Disobedience Stealing/theft Destruction of property Breaking curfew Possession of alcohol, drugs, or weapons

Risk Factors for Delinquency Low academic achievement Previous grade retention Disciplinary issues Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries or violence Poor attendance Low socio-economic status A feeling of being “disconnected” Attendance at a school with a high “at-risk” population

Delinquency is not caused by one event or risk factor… Students with more risk factors have a greater chance of dropping out. Often, delinquency occurs after as culmination of a series of events/circumstances. These students tend to be disenfranchised about school and the educational system and/or their ability to be successful. Push Out factors vs Pull Out factors Push Out Factors – experiences outside of school that influence a student’s decision to drop out Pull Out Factors – experiences within school that encourage some students to leave school

Create an environment where students feel: Capable Connected Contributing Provide opportunities for school and community connectedness Communicate high expectations of students Encourage students to become involved in school and community activities Act as a mentor to students in need What can we do?

Students need to feel they are CAPABLE of completing academic tasks and changing behaviors. Students need to feel they are CONNECTED with teachers, peers, administrators, coaches, and community leaders in a positive way. Students need to feel they are CONTRIBUTING to the welfare and development of their class, school, and community in a positive way. The Three C’s

Create an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes. Build confidence by focusing on improvement and past successes. Make learning objectives reachable and tangible for all students. Helping students to feel Capable…

School Connectedness Second only to family, school can be one of the most stabilizing institutions in a student’s life. Today many families move often and do not live near extended family as we once did. School connectedness is a feeling that students belong in their school.

Seven General Qualities 1.Feeling like they are a part of their school 2.Liking school 3.Feeling as though the teachers care about them and support them 4.Having friends to ‘hang out’ with at school 5.Being involved in their academic success and future goals 6.Believing that the discipline and rules are fair and consistently applied. 7.Participating in extracurricular activities

Give positive attention by listening and showing interest in their activities outside of the classroom. Show appreciation and affection with no strings attached. Be sure to appreciate the doer, not the deed. Show affirmation to the learner by being enthusiastic, verbally and in writing. Helping students to feel Connected…

Involve students in decision making for the class. Frequently use cooperative learning groups in class to promote positive friendships and collaborative communication skills. Encourage student’s contribution to other students, the class, the school, the community, and the environment. Helping students to feel Contributing…

The Counselor’s Role

The Counselor’s Role: Leadership Drop Out Prevention begins with the school counselor. Organize academic support so that high standards and expectations are the norm for all students Track and assist with at risk students Establish support groups for students and their families Initiate counseling interventions in lieu of disciplinary consequences Promote professional development Foster school connectedness

The Counselor’s Role: Advocacy Advocating for those at risk is extremely critical to these students’ success. Students need to feel that they matter. Students need to have high expectations that are clear stated with manageable goals. Promote academic and career plans. Provide “life skills” classes. Create peer conflict resolution and/or peer mediation teams Promote a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities

The Counselor’s Role: Collaboration & Teaming Promote consistent and equitable discipline policies. Encourage administration to annually review discipline policies. Collect and share data about discipline policies. Create an orderly school environment Encourage school wide community service projects with faculty and various school organizations.

The Counselor’s Role: Systemic Change Keep data to show the impact of new policies Encourage annual reviews Use assessment tools to get feedback from all interested parties: students, parents, faculty Discuss what worked and didn’t work Work to build consensus and support Stay focused on the goal: student success

Community Resources Children’s Home Society of Florida Treasure Coast Chapter Frontline for Kids Ft. Pierce, Florida PACE Center for Girls, Inc. Treasure Coast The Boy’s & Girls Club of Martin County SMART Programs

Positive Results Students are more likely to: Stay focused Be motivated Better grades and test scores Students are less likely to: Be disruptive and violent Experiment with drugs Smoke Use alcohol to excess Be emotionally stressed and/or consider suicide Engage in early-age sexual intercourse

Personalize – Pair Share Think about a student who has displayed or is displaying delinquent-like behaviors? What are two ways you could create a more positive school experience for that student? Name two ways we could increase parental support and involvement of that student. Name two ways we could increase school or community involvement for that student.

What’s the Key Point? People connect to people, not institutions. Creating a personal educational environment where students feel capable, connected, and contributing is essential in preventative measures to adolescent delinquency.

Evaluation Please complete the evaluation form. On the back, please share one “glow” and one “grow.” Thank you for participating !

Sources American School Counselor Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2012, from American School Counselor Association: Blum, R. (2004, September). School Connectedness: Improving Students' Lives. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from cecp.air.org/download/MCMonographFINAL.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, July). Fostering School Connectedness: Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, July). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System: 2011 National Overview. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dockery, D. J. (2010). School Dropout Indicators, Trends, and Interventions for School Counselors. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from jsc.montana.edu/articles/v10n12.pdf

Sources Garry D. and Gottfredson, D. D. (2000, July). Toward Safe and Orderly Schools-The National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from National Institute of Justice: Hatch, C. D. (2003, July 15). Interventions for Helping Students at Risk of Dropping Out of School. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from Center for School Counseling Outcome Research: Mariani, M. (2012). The three c’s [PowerPoint slides}. Retrieved from White, J. E. (2003, July 15). Interventions for Helping Students at Risk of Dropping Out of School. Retrieved September 24, 2012, from