An evaluation of residential treatment programs for young offenders in the Waterloo region.

This paper chronicles a comprehensive evaluation of 6 residential facilities for young offenders located within the region of Waterloo. Two kinds of research methodologies were employed in the investigation. One was primarily quantitative in nature, involving the completion of standardized scales for each of the youths who participated in the study (N = 129). The other was qualitative in nature, and involved interviews with a small sample of "graduates" from the centres (N = 9), and some of their parents and guardians (N = 4). Residential treatment was associated with significant improvements on the 2 measures developed specifically for the evaluation: a measure which focused on the specific goals which had been assigned to youths while in the program (Catalogue of Goals for Youth in Residence), and the global index of youth functioning which was empirically generated from residential case files (Inventory of Work Life and Social Skills). Qualitative interviews with program graduates and selected parents and guardians generally confirmed the positive evaluation of the impact of residential facilities on youths and served as the foundation for a series of recommendations for programmatic modifications and improvements.

Thinking ahead: complexity of expectations and the transition to parenthood.

This study examined the integrative complexity of thinking in individuals making the transition to parenthood, and the relationship between complexity and adjustment during this period. Sixty-nine couples were interviewed 3 months before their babies were born, and 6 months after the birth. The prenatal interview focussed on individuals' expectations about what it would be like being a parent; the postnatal interview focussed on individuals' actual experiences as parents. In addition, participants completed measures of depression, self-esteem, and marital satisfaction after each interview, and a measure of stress after the 6-month postnatal interview. Both men and women demonstrated a significant increase in the complexity of their thinking from the prenatal to the postnatal interview, with women demonstrating higher levels of complexity at both times. In addition, women with more complex expectations demonstrated better adjustment after their babies were born than did women with simpler expectations; these results were not obtained for men. Results are discussed with regard to the way in which thinking about the self changes as one negotiates major life transitions, and the way in which complex thinking can help counter some of the stresses that individuals may experience at these times.

Becoming a parent: the relation between prenatal expectations and postnatal experience.

The relationship between individuals' prenatal expectations about parenthood and their postnatal experience of parenthood was examined. Seventy-three primiparous couples were interviewed during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and asked open-ended questions regarding their expectations. A content analysis of these expectations identified several themes. A cluster analysis, using these themes as variables, identified 3 clusters of women labeled prepared, fearful, and complacent and 4 clusters of men labeled prepared, fearful, complacent, and mixed. Postnatal comparisons indicated that women and men in the prepared cluster generally demonstrated better adjustment than did individuals in the other clusters. Results are discussed in terms of the content of expectations about parenthood, gender differences in these expectations, and the association between prenatal expectations and postnatal experiences.

Moral and social reasoning and perspective taking in later life: a longitudinal study.

In this study 27 older adults (ages 64-80) and 23 middle-aged adults (ages 35-54) were tested for moral stage, integrative complexity of social reasoning, and perspective-taking levels twice over a 4-year period. Moral reasoning stage levels did not change over time for either age group. Older adults, but not the middle-aged, showed a significant decline over time in level of moral perspective taking. Complexity of reasoning about several interpersonal social issues declined modestly in both age groups. More social-cognitive support, a higher education level, and better self-reported health were all found to be protective factors in forestalling declines in mature adults' sociocognitive reasoning, consistent with other research on cognitive measures in later life.

The planning and implementation of government-sponsored community-based primary prevention: a case study.

Governments at all levels have become increasingly involved in initiating and funding projects within which community residents work collaboratively with local service providers in the development of programs for the betterment of themselves, their families, and their community. Inherent in these initiatives, however, are a number of possible sources of tension which, left unresolved, may hamper the intentions of governments to seed grass-roots solutions to community problems. A qualitative research methodology was used to examine the nature of the relationship between government and community representatives (both residents and local service providers) in establishing community-based primary prevention programs under the auspices of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures initiative of the Government of Ontario. We examine a number of issues and tensions that have arisen from this project, both during the development of the program model by the government, and through to its implementation in several communities in the province.

Resident participation in the Better Beginnings, Better Futures prevention project: Part I--The impacts of involvement.

What impact does the involvement of community residents in developing prevention programs have on the residents themselves, the programs they help to create, and the communities in which they live? The research literature suggests that resident involvement in program decision making can enhance residents' sense of control or empowerment, improve programs and services, and provide a better match between the needs of the community and the kinds of services provided. Much of this literature, however, has focused on relatively few of the benefits and costs that residents can experience as a result of their involvement. The investigation reported in this paper utilized a qualitative research methodology to discover the outcomes, both positive and negative, that residents derive from their involvement. Prevention programs operating in seven Ontario communities under the auspices of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures primary prevention initiative are featured in the discussion.

Resident participation in the Better Beginnings, Better Futures prevention project: Part II--Factors that facilitate and hinder involvement.

Resident participation is the cornerstone of any community-based prevention program. However, many challenges exist which make it difficult to involve residents in a meaningful way in the development of such programs. How can programs be organized so as to provide for significant participation of community residents in the process of program development? This article outlines the procedures that were utilized in seven community-based prevention programs established under the Better Beginnings, Better Futures initiative of the Government of Ontario to enlist the participation of community residents in program decision making and implementation.

Four pathways in the analysis of adult development and aging: comparing analyses of reasoning about personal-life dilemmas.

Four systems for analyzing thinking about 2 personal-life dilemmas, as discussed by 29 men and 35 women (ages 35-85), were compared. Kohlberg's (1976) moral judgment stages, Kegan's (1982) ego-development stages, Gilligan's (1982) moral orientation system, and Suedfeld and Tetlock's (1977) integrative complexity scoring were used. Subjects completed Kohlberg's (Colby & Kohlberg, 1987) standard moral judgment measure, a self-concept description, and several questionnaires. The Kohlberg, Kegan, and integrative complexity codings of the dilemmas were positively related to each other and to the standard Kohlberg moral stage scores. There were no age-group differences and few gender differences on the measures. However, education, role-taking skills, and greater sensitivity to age changes in the self positively predicted higher stage scores across maturity.

The Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse: Part I-History and program description.

The Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC) was established in 1985 to increase awareness and utilization of prevention programs, resources and technology throughout the province of Ontario, Canada. This major objective is accomplished through a process of information and consultation, networking, and education. This paper outlines the general functions and services of information clearinghouses, recounts the events leading to the establishment of the OPC, and describes the way in which the OPC provides its services.

The Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse: Part II-Program evaluation.

This paper describes a program evaluation of the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC). The results showed that information requests focused on person-centred primary prevention strategies aimed at children, adolescents, and families and adult health promotion. Moreover, service users were very satisfied with and were able to use the information provided to advance prevention programming in the province. The paper concludes with the recommendations made to the OPC advisory committee and staff and to its major funders about the future functioning of the OPC.

Community-based approaches to health promotion: guidelines for community mobilization.

This article examines the processes of community mobilization for health promotion. First, five community-based health promotion interventions designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are reviewed, with particular attention paid to the processes of community mobilization in these programs. Second, several guidelines for community mobilization for effective health promotion are distilled from the experiences of these programs. The guidelines that are outlined provide a working model for future community-based health promotion interventions. Finally, the limitations of CVD prevention programs are briefly discussed.