Deviancy Training in a Sample of High‐Risk Adolescent Girls in The Netherlands

Peer Interactions in Residential Youth Care: A Validation Study of the Peer Interactions in Residential Youth Care (PIRY) Questionnaire

“…Most studies on peer interactions focus on the processes and mechanisms through which youth influence each other's behavior (modeling, differential reinforcement, imitation) (e.g., Burgess & Akers, 1966;De Haan et al, 2010;Sijtsema & Lindenberg, 2018;Thornberry, 1998), or whether youth associate with and develop friendships with peers who display similar behavior (social preference, selection) (e.g., Kornienko et al, 2018;Magalhães & Calheiros, 2015a, 2015bTarrant, 2002). Also, studies on peer interactions mostly focus on the negative influences of peers, resulting in deviant or criminal behavior, alcohol/drug use, or school dropout (Dishion & Tipsord, 2011).…”

“…The interactions among youth can be seen as a dynamic factor affecting treatment efficacy. First, adolescents showing antisocial behavior may negatively reinforce deviant behavior of their peers through deviancy training (De Haan et al, 2010;Dishion & Tipsord, 2011), which might result in a hostile attitude toward staff members who deliver therapy, negatively affecting both therapeutic alliance and treatment motivation (Roest et al, 2016). Second, adolescents showing prosocial behavior may positively affect treatment motivation through peer support.…”

The Associations between Structural Treatment Characteristics and Post-Treatment Functioning in Compulsory Residential Youth Care

“…It is possible that deviancy training, in which peers reinforce one another’s deviant behaviors (Dishion et al 1996 , 1997 , 2001 ) is stronger in single-sex treatment groups than in mixed-sex groups. It is known that deviancy training within girls-only groups occurs in the new residential treatment program (De Haan et al 2010 ); however, whether it also takes place in mixed-sex groups remains to be answered (T. J. Dishion, personal communication, January 25, 2011). It should be noted that there are indications that the institutions under study placed girls in single-sex or mixed-sex treatment groups based on these girls’ problem behaviors and vulnerability.…”