Lifting the Bar: A Relationship-Orienting Intervention Reduces Recidivism Among Children Reentering School From Juvenile Detention

Lifting the Bar: A Relationship-Orienting Intervention Reduces Recidivism Among Children Reentering School From Juvenile Detention

When children return to school from juvenile detention, they face a severe stigma. We developed a procedure to orient educators and students toward each other as positive relationship partners during this period. In Study 1, through a structured exercise, students reentering school powerfully articu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science Vol. 32; no. 11; pp. 1747 - 1767
Main Authors: Walton, Gregory M., Okonofua, Jason A., Remington Cunningham, Kathleen, Hurst, Daniel, Pinedo, Andres, Weitz, Elizabeth, Ospina, Juan P., Tate, Hattie, Eberhardt, Jennifer L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-11-2021
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:
Achievement
Child
Detention
Exercise
Humans
Juvenile detention centers
Lifting
Prosocial behavior
Recidivism
Recidivism - prevention & control
Reentry
Return to school
Schools
Stigma
Students
Teachers
preregistered
intergroup dynamics
juvenile delinquency
racial and ethnic attitudes and relations
prejudice
adolescent development
intervention
open data
educational psychology
minority groups
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Summary:When children return to school from juvenile detention, they face a severe stigma. We developed a procedure to orient educators and students toward each other as positive relationship partners during this period. In Study 1, through a structured exercise, students reentering school powerfully articulated to an educator of their choosing their prosocial hopes for school as well as challenges they faced. In a preliminary field trial (N = 47), presenting this self-introduction to this educator in a one-page letter via a third-party requesting the educator’s help reduced recidivism to juvenile detention through the next semester from 69% to 29%. In Study 2 (preregistered), the letter led experienced teachers (N = 349) to express greater commitment to, anticipate more success for, and feel more love and respect for a student beginning their reentry into school, potentially initiating a better trajectory. The results suggest how relationship-orienting procedures may sideline bias and make school more supportive for students facing stigma.
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ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1177/09567976211013801