We examined the immediate, short-and long-term effectiveness of the SNAP TM Under 12 Outreach Project (ORP)-a community-based program for children under the age of 12 at risk of having police contact. Sixteen pairs of children were matched on age, sex and severity of delinquency at admission, and randomly assigned to the ORP or to a control group which received less intensive treatment. Level of antisocial behavior was assessed pre and post intervention (immediate effects) and at three follow-up periods (up to 15 months post treatment) to investigate maintenance of possible treatment effects. A search of criminal records was also performed to assess long term effects. Results indicated that ORP children decreased significantly more than controls on the Delinquency and Aggression subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist pre-to post-intervention, and these effects were maintained over time. For statistically significant differences, effect sizes were large (.79 to 1.19). Fewer ORP children (31%) had criminal records at follow-up compared to controls (57%), although this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, the ORP appears to be an effective cognitive-behavioral program for antisocial children in the short term, with possible effects that extend into adolescence and adulthood.Keywords Randomized controlled trial (RCT) . Conduct disorder . Children . Antisocial behavior . Cognitive behavioral therapy There is an abundance of research showing that an early age of onset of conduct disorder is a robust predictor of future criminal involvement and that young children with above average levels of disruptive behavior problems have a two-to three-fold increased risk of

This study tested the effectiveness of a multifaceted, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program for antisocial children--the SNAP Under 12 Outreach Project (ORP)--in relation to age, sex and indices of treatment intensity. Study participants were 80 clinic-referred children (59 boys and 21 girls) aged 6-11 years assigned to one of the following groups: control (CG; n = 14) who did not receive the ORP, matched (MG; n = 50) who received the ORP, and experimental (EG; n = 16) who received an enhanced version of the ORP. Results indicated significant pre-post changes for the EG and MG for Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)-measured delinquency and aggression, but no improvement for the CG. Positive relationships between the number of individual ORP components (e.g. number of children's CBT sessions) received and CBCL change scores were also found. Statistical associations tended to be larger for girls and older children (i.e. 10-11 years old) who may have been more cognitively advanced. Also, the number of children's CBT sessions predicted later convictions, even after controlling for prior CBCL delinquency scores. Findings from this study support the effectiveness of the ORP, but also highlight the need to take into account client characteristics when offering clinical treatment.

Compared with juveniles who start offending in adolescence, child delinquents (age 12 and younger) are two to three times more likely to become, tomorrow's serious and violent offenders. This propensity, however, can be minimized. These children are potentially identifiable either before they begin committing crimes or at the very early stages of criminalitytimes when interventions are most likely to succeed. Therefore, treatment, services, and intervention programs that target these very young offenders offer an exceptional opportunity to reduce the overall level of crime in a community. This Bulletin is part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency. Prevention's Child Delinquency Series, which presents the findings of the Study Group on Very Young Offenders. This series offers the latest information about child delinquency, including analyses of child delinquency statistics, insights into the origins of very young offending, and descriptions of early intervention programs and approaches that work to prevent the development of delinquent behavior by focusing on risk and protective factors. The Bulletin reviews treatment and services available to such child delinquents and their families and examines their efficacy. At a time of limited budgets, it is imperative to consider the cost effectiveness of specific programs because children who are not diverted from criminal careers will require significant resources in the future. The timely provision of the kinds of treatment, services, and intervention programs described in this Bulletin while child delinquents are still young and impressionable may prevent their progression to chronic criminality, saving the expense of later interventions. (Contains 73 references.) (GCP) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Treatment, Services, and Intervention Programs for Child Delinquents by Barbara J. Burns

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