The Essexfields Concept: A New Approach to the Social Treatment of Juvenile Delinquents

Abstract

Rehabilitation of the delinquent adolescent requires the utilization of concepts developing out of the various social sciences. The Essexfields program in Newark, New Jersey, has attempted to design a "social system" which encompasses certain knowledge related to the impact of peer group experience upon delinquent adolescents. Its promise lies in its ability to alter deviant "street norms" and to create, through the group experience, new norms which are "prosocial" in nature. In addition, Essexfields has attempted to recognize the need for a meaningful transitionary period as boys return to full-time community living and continues to utilize the graduate peer group to aid this development. The total Essexfields process is being evaluated through a research program designed to examine its effectiveness as a treatment agent as well as its internal processes. Finally, this paper points to the potential applications of the Highfields-Essexfields approach, particularly within the classroom setting.