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Article Excerpt
Using J. L. Holland's (1985) Self-Directed Search, this study compared the career interests of 28 adjudicated male adolescents with a normative high school male sample. The mean Artistic score of the adjudicated adolescents was significantly higher, and the authors found that this group endorsed fewer Investigative items and more Artistic items than the normative sample. The adjudicated sample showed poor differentiation and significantly higher intercorrelations among the Holland codes.
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Research on career counseling with at-risk individuals such as urban youth, school dropouts, substance abusers, and individuals with criminal records is an important and often neglected area of study. Previous research indicates that offenders could benefit from career guidance because 87% of juveniles nationally were not in school and 40% of incarcerated adults were unemployed at the time of their arrest (Platt, 1986). Research also shows that gaining employment is a key factor in preventing recidivism, yet few studies have examined the usefulness of career counseling for adjudicated adolescents (Chartrand & Rose, 1996).
Career exploration is an important developmental task of adolescence, especially in relation to identity development (Zunker, 1998). Although the employment decisions made during adolescence are considered explorative in the work world, adults are more often faced with "terminal" decisions about their careers (Phillips, 1982). Therefore, career exploration, assessment of interests, and job coaching are important issues to address when counseling adolescents. In contrast to traditional high school students, adjudicated adolescents may face more barriers to employment and have greater difficulties assessing their interests and exploring their career options because of limited access to educational and occupational opportunities (Chartrand & Rose, 1996; Young, 1994).
More than one third of incarcerated adolescents have been shown to be learning disabled, mentally retarded, or behaviorally disturbed (Munson, 1994). Incarcerated adolescents also score lower on measures of an internalized locus of control, self-esteem, self-knowledge, and interpersonal skills compared with normative adolescent samples (Munson, 1994). These traits, however, are integral to career maturity and readiness and are essential to successful career selection. For example, individuals with high self-esteem have clearer and more confident self-perceptions and normally make more appropriate career choices (Munson, 1994; Munson & Strauss, 1993).
Many juvenile offenders also feel a general sense of hopelessness about their future, which can hinder their educational and career planning (Smith, 1983). Career counselors can help adjudicated adolescents see a future, explore options, and formulate and implement an employment plan (Robitschek, 1996). Some intervention programs for adjudicated adolescents include vocational as well as personal counseling; these programs have been shown to effectively increase employment and decrease recidivism rates (e.g., Platt, 1986).
Career counseling, alone, can serve to empower and motivate adjudicated adolescents to develop personal career goals and to make positive social choices in their personal lives. This type of counseling may also renew their interest in school or other educational venues (e.g., general equivalency diploma programs or technical training). Career counseling has been effective at enhancing at-risk college students' commitment to education and academic retention (Polansky, Horan, & Hanish, 1993). Adding a study skills component to career counseling yielded the most significant gains for these students at risk for failing out of college. Although there are obvious differences between at-risk college students and juvenile offenders, incorporating both career counseling and study skills into an intervention for adjudicated adolescents may yield similar scholastic benefits. Successful job placement can promote myriad personal benefits for adjudicated adolescents. Employment brings with it the obvious financial benefits, but it can also deter participation in criminal activities. In addition, maintaining a job and earning money may promote maturity, responsibility, and autonomy for juvenile offenders.
An important first step in providing career counseling for adjudicated adolescents is an accurate assessment of their career interests and abilities. This can be done informally and efficiently using a career interest inventory. The counselor and the adolescent should work collaboratively to (a) identify...
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