Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which interscholastic athletics may have contributed to the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquent offenders who successfully completed treatment programs at juvenile delinquency rehabilitation centers. Methodology. A casual-comparative investigation of 220 seriously delinquent juvenile offenders between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years old who successfully completed treatment programs at Twin Pines Ranch and Van Horn Youth Center between July 1, 1980, and June 30, 1985, was conducted. Rehabilitation rates between athletes and nonathletes were compared utilizing descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square Test on data hand searched from archival records of the Riverside County (California) Office of Education and the Riverside County (California) Probation Department. For the purposes of statistical analysis, the null hypothesis was used. Findings. The major finding was that there was no significant differences between the rehabilitation rates of athletes and nonathletes. Additionally, no significant differences were found between athletes and nonathletes on the four moderator variables examined (age, gender, severity of crime, length of time in program). Conclusions. The major conclusion was that athletes were not rehabilitated at the greater rate than nonathletes among juvenile delinquent offenders who successfully completed treatment programs at juvenile delinquency rehabilitation centers. The null hypothesis was retained. Recommendations. The major recommendation was that the interscholastic athletic programs at Twin Pines and Van Horn High Schools be continued pending further studies. Recommended further studies concerned perceptions of program effectiveness by key school and probation officials and former athletes, examination of rehabilitation rates of all interscholastic athletic participants rather than just lettermen, and the duration of rehabilitation for athletes.