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Commitment language and homework completion in a behavioral employment program for gang-affiliated youth
Caitlin Smith1, Stanley J Huey2, Dawn D McDaniel2
1University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA caitlias@usc.edu.
Summary
Eliciting commitment language in youth offender employment counseling improved homework completion but not job outcomes. This suggests focusing on motivational language can enhance engagement for juvenile delinquents.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Eliciting commitment language in substance abuse treatment is linked to better outcomes.
- The impact of client in-session language on treatment success is understudied in juvenile offender populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the link between commitment language, treatment engagement (homework completion), and employment outcomes.
- To explore these relationships in gang-affiliated juvenile offenders undergoing employment counseling.
Main Methods:
- Audio-recorded counseling sessions of six juvenile offenders were transcribed.
- Sessions were coded for commitment language strength.
- Multilevel models analyzed the relationship between commitment language and homework/employment outcomes over time.
Main Results:
- Stronger commitment language predicted increased homework completion.
- Commitment language did not significantly predict weekly employment outcomes.
- Findings suggest commitment language enhances compliance with counseling tasks.
Conclusions:
- Commitment language may be a useful indicator of engagement in juvenile offender treatment.
- Counselors should explore techniques to foster commitment language in this population.
- Further research is needed on promoting commitment language for improved outcomes in juvenile gang offenders.
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