Truancy Intervention Programs

Abstract

School truancy, particularly in primary and secondary schools, represents a serious issue deserving attention in communities across the nation. Most often treated as a management and disciplinary problem, serious attention to the underlying causes of truancy is usually given after the youth's absence from school becomes frequent or chronic. Truant youths are at considerable risk of continuing their troubled behavior in school, experiencing psychosocial difficulties, and entering the juvenile justice system. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, truancy has not received significant attention by criminologists. This paper addresses three questions: (1) What kinds of truancy programs exist in the U.S? (2) What evidence do we have regarding their effectiveness? (3) What system and programmatic issues present obstacles to implementing successful truancy programs, and need to be considered in establishing effective programs? Finally, we discuss efforts that are underway in Hillsborough County, Florida in implementing an effective continuum of service for truant youths and their families.

Predicting adolescent truancy: The importance of distinguishing between different aspects of instructional quality

“…Although the problem of reverse causality seems unlikely, the issue might usefully be addressed in future research through a carefully designed longitudinal study or an intervention study in which teachers and their classes are assigned to different treatments, possibly focusing on the instructional quality variables examined in the present study. To date, few studies (e.g., Dembo & Gulledge, 2009) have systematically and scientifically evaluated truancy intervention programs.…”

Brief intervention for drug-abusing adolescents in a school setting: Outcomes and mediating factors

“…Only about 10% of adolescents who need treatment for problematic drug use currently receive it (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005). Identification of adolescent drug abusers in settings such as pediatric clinics (Levy, Winters, & Knight, 2010), juvenile detention systems (Dembo & Gulledge, 2009) and school assistance programs (Winters, Leitten, Wagner & O’Leary Tevyaw, 2007) may help to address this service gap for such drug using youth.…”

Assessing the Connection Between Health and Education: Identifying Potential Leverage Points for Public Health to Improve School Attendance

“…Beyond modifying student factors, these models focus on a broader catchment, to include family, school, and community interventions. 9,10 However, in spite of growing interest, much remains unknown about the key steps, design, or program features that are necessary to effectively implement cross-sector strategies. Identifying leverage points where nontraditional, noneducation partners (e.g., public health) can intervene represents a critical need.…”