At-Risk Youth in Schools: A Wraparound Delinquency Prevention Program Produces Disappointing Results

 

On paper, a “wraparound” approach to managing student delinquency while improving student success and making schools safer perfect sense. The idea is to surround at-risk youth with coordinated resources, with school staff, law enforcement, the courts, and service providers all delivering support. The approach focuses on accountability, rehabilitation, and tailored services for targeted students. NIJ-funded researchers evaluated a pilot wraparound initiative in the School District of Palm Beach County. The study found that the Palm Beach schools intervention was “well-grounded in theory and research on adolescent behavior,” but overall, “there were no consistent beneficial or adverse effects of the intervention on either student or school outcomes,” the final research report said. READ MORE