AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND CRIME

After School Programs and Crime

After School Programs and Crime

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

RQ#1: Is after school program reduces the crime rate?

RQ#2: what is the impact of after school program on children?

CONCEPTUAL MODEL



VARIABLES

Independent Variable = school attendance,

Dependent Variable = after school program

Third Variable = social problems

HYPOTHESES

Hr1: Attending a program more days across the school year would be associated with better academic and conduct grades at school, greater endorsement of positive conflict resolution strategies and less endorsement of negative strategies, and better school attendance than attending a program fewer days, controlling for prior adjustment.

Hr2: there is a positive effect of after-school programs on children who are at risk for academic and social problems has focused on comparisons between children who attend programs and children who do not.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Prior research examining the effects of after-school programs on children who are at risk for academic and social problems has focused on comparisons between children who attend programs and children who do not. Some studies have documented beneficial effects of program participation in terms of reading and math achievement, academic and conduct grades, work habits at school, emotional and behavioral adjustment, and peer relations (Marshall, Coll, Marx, McCartney, Keefe, & Ruh, 1997; Mayesky, 1980; Morris, Shaw, & Perney, 1990; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Sheley, 1984; Tucker et al., 1995). Other studies, however, have found no effects in comparisons between program and nonprogram children (Pettit, Laird, Bates, & Dodge, 1997; Posner & Vandell, in press). These conflicting results may be due to participation differences in the program group. After-school program participation can vary widely, ranging from sporadic attendance to daily participation. We examined the influence of this variation in program participation on the academic and social adjustment of at-risk children.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Cohen (1998) made the most comprehensive attempt to measure the benefits of preventing a high risk youth from participating in future activities that are costly to the individual and to society. Using extensive data about the direct and indirect impact of crime, drug abuse and dropping out of high school, Cohen estimates the present value of the costs imposed upon society by the average career criminal, the average heavy drug user and the average high school dropout. Table 1 presents Cohen's estimates, adjusted to reflect 2001 dollar values. These numbers represent the current value of the lifetime costs of these behaviors. It is clear that the cost to society from the individuals' bad social outcomes is very high, and this suggests that society might be willing to pay a substantial amount to avoid these costs.

Any program that can prevent such behavior at a lower cost would be cost effective from society's perspective. Ideally, we would have data from a random sample of participants and non-participants in after school programs that follow the participants over their lifetimes. We could then determine the impact of after school programs on criminal behavior and estimate the cost savings with these cost figures. Instead we are forced to rely on crime reduction figures from other studies of intervention ...