Faculty:
Lori Simons, PhD
Nancy Hirschinger-Blank, PhD

Subject Area/Discipline: Criminal Justice, Psychology
School: Widener University
Project Area: Schooling/Education/Youth

Fall 2004 & Spring 2005

CJ/PSY 335[1]

Community-Based Youth Development Intervention Strategies & Practices:

Integrating Criminal Justice and Psychological Approaches

 Fall 2004,Spring 2005

 6 Credits

WE Course

 Days/Time:  Monday & Wednesday, 2-3:15pm

                                      Location: LC 222A                                     

Course Description:  This is an interdisciplinary criminal justice and psychology year-long course on community intervention strategies and practices for at-risk youth.  We will review theories and research that explain problem behaviors (i.e. mental health, substance use, delinquency, teen parenting).  Numerous theories/frameworks drawn from criminology and psychology will be examined.  They include social disorganization, cultural formation and deviance, social control, deterrence, restorative justice, attachment - parent and peer relationships, risk and protective factors and resilience, social-cognitive and learning theories. The interdisciplinary approach will provide the opportunity to focus on both the macro-structural factors emphasized in criminology and the micro-level perspective emphasized in psychology.

We will then examine current intervention and prevention programs, their goals, theoretical underpinnings and effectiveness and limitations in addressing the needs of at-risk youth. Programs focus on recreation, education and/or developing life skills and include the following: mentoring programs (i.e. Young Parents Support Network (YSPN), Big Brother Big Sister), arts/mural programs (i.e. National Endowment for the Arts; Anti-Graffiti Network), Head Start, Strengthening the Family Program, the Scared Straight and Police Athletic League Programs (P.A.L), Boys and Girls Club and Female-Gender Specific Programs (The Ophelia Project and The Girls Advocacy Project).

Major aims of the course are to train students in the principles of service learning, to prepare students to become effective mentors for Chester youth and to gain experience as a mentor. Therefore, we will spend additional time focusing on mentoring programs in particular.  We will review the “role of mentoring” in the Young Parents Support Network, issues associated with being a mentor, mentoring as a primary intervention strategy, barriers associated with being a mentor, and prevention research (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Free to Grow).   Widener students will be paired up with mentees from the YSPN program and will serve as mentors for 15 hours per semester for a total of 30 hours during both course semesters.  Ultimately students will develop both a broad perspective of theories and methodologies from criminal justice and psychology, an understanding of how the mentoring intervention programs are implemented and evaluated, a framework for applying academic knowledge to practical experience and field experience.

Course Sequence: This is a 6 credit-year long course that involves mentoring a student and applying criminal justice, community psychology, and service-learning intervention and prevention strategies. The purpose for the yearlong course is to implement mentoring between you (mentor) and the mentee throughout the course at Widener and at the mentee’s school. The research on mentoring has shown that mentoring less than a year may lead to adverse outcomes for at-risk youth; therefore, this course requires a 2-semester commitment in order to implement the mentoring protocol and to observe and evaluate the process and outcome of this intervention.

Students who enroll in this course will receive an “I” for the first semester. After they complete the second semester, they will receive two grades, one per semester.

Students who enroll in this course and decide not to participate in the mentoring portion of the course after the drop/add period will be given an alternative non-mentoring service-learning assignment. Students who enroll in this course and do not enroll or complete the second semester of the course will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Course Process: This course is a collaboration between Widener University and the Center Foundation’s Young Parents Support Network (YPSN).  The Center Foundation is a private operating foundation formed in 1994 and located in Media, Pennsylvania.  Young Parents Support Network provides caring adult mentors for pregnant and parenting male and female teens (mentees). The mission of the Foundation is to promote positive social change through public education and encouragement of cooperative social action. This mission is pursued through the development and sponsorship of projects designed to empower individuals and groups to fulfill their potential as productive, caring, and supportive members of our community

The course will consist of Widener students and Chester-Upland high school juniors and seniors enrolled in YSPN as mentees.  Widener students will be carefully selected based on an interview process and written application. The education that will occur in the course will be multidimensional; students will learn not only the subject matter but an understanding that reaches beyond stereotypes and myths frequently characterizing at-risk, minority youth.

Academic learning will be integrated with hands-on experiential learning and training.  Students will participate in trainings led by YSPN trainers.  Topics will include diversity, resilience, guidelines for being a mentor, building and maintaining the mentor-mentee relationship.  Given that this course is based on a service-learning model, students will learn about the fundamentals of service-learning partnerships, partnerships for collaborative action research, field research methods, principles and practices in community based research, and outcomes in service learning evaluation.

Various speakers will also be joining us throughout the semester.  The class will include quite a bit of discussion and dialogue.  It will be important for students to challenge themselves to put their perspectives into words for the rest of the class to learn from.  

Course Objectives: This course is meant to synthesize knowledge regarding the theoretical conceptualizations, empirical investigations, and practical applications in the community intervention strategies and practices by integrating criminal justice and psychological perspectives. At the end of this course, students will have the requisite knowledge and skills to:

• Discuss service learning practices, research theories and methodologies (i.e. action research, field research, community-based research) drawn from psychology and criminology
• Converse on mentoring practices,  issues/barriers associated with being a mentor, mentoring as an intervention strategy and evaluation of a mentoring program
• Differentiate between individual and group differences such as ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status and age-level characteristics, and their impact on interventions
• Apply the theoretical strategies to community-based programs and mentoring in particular.
• Compare and contrast the different types of community-based programs and service-learning experiences, research on programs and service-learning, and program outcomes.
• Utilize community-based practices in an intervention program
• Integrate criminal justice and psychological theories and research methodologies
• Develop a theoretical perspective on mentoring and identify community-based outcomes to studying this perspective
• Implement and evaluate a research method to scientifically study a proposal on a community-based program.
  

Course Requirements: Course content follows the syllabus provided. Readings for each class are to be read prior to class. Supplemental articles will be given during the class. This course is structured as a seminar with an emphasis on applied and collaborative learning. In addition, this course offers both Widener and YSPN students an opportunity to engage in community service learning.

1. Research Term Paper: A term paper is primarily a record of intelligent reading in several sources (primary, and secondary) on a topic related to community service learning via mentoring. This paper should be 5-8 pages in length, include primary and secondary sources, and written in either APA or MLA style. Please review the procedures for writing a term paper.  Students are required to submit a rough-draft and then rewrite the final paper. For the first semester students will be required to choose a topic related to community-based prevention/intervention strategy, integrate criminological AND psychological theory and apply service learning principles. For the second semester, students will be required to choose a topic related to mentoring and apply service learning evaluation principles and a research method based on criminal justice AND psychology. Topics for papers must be approved and are due on 10/25. 
   

2. Presentations (second semester only): Students will work in groups of four on a particular community-based mentoring program of interest to the students and present findings to the class (YSPN teachers will be invited to attend presentations).  Students will be required to meet with program personnel in order to obtain primary agency information concerning the program’s goals, strategies for implementation and program effectiveness (if available). One purpose of this activity is for students to connect their experience with community intervention strategies and practices from criminal justice and psychology perspectives.

3. Reflection Papers: Students will complete 4 reflection papers, 2 reflection papers per semester. Each paper will be a minimum of 4 typed-pages and consist of reflections to specific questions regarding the course content and the field experience.  Specific guidelines for reflection papers will be distributed during the course.

4. Journals:  Students will be required to complete a journal entry after EVERY CLASS & EVERY FIELD EXPERIENCE.  The purpose of this assignment is to provide students will the opportunity to reflect on the learning in and out of the classroom and provide examples of how theory (academic learning) is applied to course content and real world situations.  Guidelines will be distributed under a separate cover. Guidelines will be distributed during class.

 
5. Community Service Learning Surveys:  To evaluate the effectiveness of community service learning, students will be required to complete a survey twice throughout the semester.  Two separate databases will be maintained to keep your survey responses confidential. The first database will be used for tracking surveys. Each student will have a numerical code so that the professor may track the completion of surveys for credit. The second database will be used to evaluate the surveys on only group data. This database will not include your numerical codes so that your “responses” will be kept anonymous and the professor will be unable to identify any individual data. 

 6. Community Logs. Students will be required to complete community logs for the YSPN throughout the semester. In addition, students will be required to attend at least 1 workshop for mentors (ie. mentor circle meeting) and have regular contact with the mentee and project coordinator (YSPN) during each semester. This is requirement for the mentoring partnership of the service-learning project!

Grading Policy Semester 1:

Class Attendance/Participation=25%                                         Research term paper= 20%

Journal=25%                                                                            Reflection papers = 20%

Community Surveys=10%

 
Course Policies:

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class. If you miss class for a legitimate reason (ie, illness, death in the family), please arrange to get the class notes before the next scheduled class. Students who are continually absent from class (twice the number of weekly class meetings) will have their final course averages reduced by 5 percentage points for each absence. Absenteeism WILL have a negative impact on your final grade since participation is a requirement and examinations are based on material presented in class.

Arriving Late: Students are expected to be on time for class. If you do find yourself arriving late for class, I ask that you enter the classroom in an unobtrusive manner and find the nearest available seat. Students who habitually (more than three times) come to class late (more than 5 minutes after the start of class) will have their final course averages reduced by one half a grade per lateness.

Assignment Dates: Due dates for each assignment are located on your syllabus. Late papers will be penalized. If you are having difficulty conceptualizing your perspective or organizing your thoughts, then please seeks assistance at the Writing Center or speak with one of us.

Academic Honesty: Please familiarize yourself with the most recently adopted Academic Honesty Policy at Widener University. Students in violation of this policy will fail the course and be reported to the Academic Dean.

Special Accommodations: Any student who may need some special accommodation to complete the specified requirements should make an appointment to meet with us to discuss such considerations. It is mandatory that we discuss this matter before you begin completing the assigned work.

 The Instructors reserve the right to change any parts of this syllabus. If so, you will be informed of any changes in class.

CJ/PSY 355 SYLLABUS – Semester 1 (Fall, 2004)

Date           Week          Topic                                                         

9/13                 1                       Introductions and class overview by Drs. Simons and Blank

What is service-learning?

Typology of Service-Learning

9/15                                         Mentoring, Service-Learning & Resiliency Theory

Culture-Development, Formation, & Identity; Diversity

Gender and Cultural Sensitivity Considerations in interventions and practices

YSPN training – led by YSPN and Simons

9/20                2                      What does it mean to be mentor?  Myths and Facts to

YSPN training – led by YSPN and Blank

9/22                                        Mentoring, Mentoring Practices

YSPN training – led by YSPN, Simons and Blank

9/27                3                      Training by YSPN w/Blank                                                                                                       Civic Education Research Conference - Simons

9/29                                        A comparison of criminology and psychological theories

Process what occurred in the training as it relates to criminology and psychology

                                                Review the Guidelines for Reflection Paper Simons & Blank

STUDENTS BEGIN MENTORING YSPN MENTEES

10/4                 4                      Psychological Theories - Simons

Childhood Abuse, Victimization and Trauma as Risk Factors

Abuse/Victimization, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Draft of Reflection Paper 1 Due 10/4

Journals Due 10/4

10/6                                         Psychological Theories - Simons

The Importance of Creating and Sustaining Social Change

Community Psychology, Services and Setting

10/11                5                      Stress, Coping, and social support: Toward  Community

Mental Health - Simons

Protective Factors & Resilience

10/13                                       Social and Human Services in the Community - Simons

Types of Programs: Intervention, Prevention and Treatment

Roles in Programs

                                                Mentoring for Resilience

Revised Reflection Paper 1 Due

10/18               6                      Criminological Theories/Perspectives - Blank

Criminological Thought Through the Ages

Choice Theory & Classical Criminology

Deterrence

10/20                                       Balanced and Restorative Justice - Blank

Criminological Theories

Field Experience Debriefing

10/25               7                      Social Control Theory and Mentoring - Blank

10/27                                       Social Disorganization and the Code of the Street – Blank

11/1                  8                      Guest Speaker #1 on Criminal Justice and Mentoring

To be led by speaker and Blank

11/3                                         Service Learning Reflection Exercise on speaker application

of Theory to Real Life Experience: Integrating theory and reality. Field Experience Debriefing - Blank

Journals Due 11/3!

11/8                 9                      Guest Speaker #2 on Criminal Justice and Mentoring

To be led by speaker and Blank

11/10                                        Service Learning Reflection Exercise on speaker application

of Theory to Real Life Experience: Integrating theory and reality. Field Experience Debriefing - Blank

Draft of Term Paper Due 11/10.

11/15                10                     Psychological Theories

Guest Speaker #1 on Community Psychology (ie. substance abuse) and Mentoring led by speaker and Simons

11/17                                        Service Learning Reflection Exercise on speaker application

                                                of Theory to Real Life Experience

Field Experience Debriefing

To be led by Simons

11/22               11                     Psychological Theories

Guest Speaker #2 on Community Psychology (ie. substance abuse) and Mentoring led by speaker and Simons

11/24                                       Service Learning Reflection Exercise on speaker application

                                                of Theory to Real Life Experience

Field Experience Debriefing

To be led by Simons

11/29               12                     Application of Theory to Community-Based Programs 

                                                The Boston Experiment Video

Field Experience Debriefing

To be led by Blank

Draft of Reflection Paper 2 Due  (topic is one of the speakers – see attached guidelines

12/1                                         Application of Theory to Community-Based Treatment Programs

Special Issues in Addiction Treatment - Simons

Gender Specific Treatments for Substance Abuse

12/6                 13                     Application of Theory to Community-Based Programs 

Balanced and Restorative Justice

                                                The Circle Process - Blank

                                                Revised Reflection Paper Due 12/01.

12/8                                         Application of Theory to Community-Based Program

An Introduction to Community-Based Evaluation 

Field Experience Debriefing

To be led by Simons    

12/13               14                     Revised Term Paper Due 12/13

                                Journals Due 12/13!

                                                Closing Ceremony

To be led by Blank and Simons

12/15                                       Course Reflections - Blank and Simons
CJ/PSY 355 Course Reading Schedule

Articles should be read prior to class according to the class date indicated on the schedule below:

Class Date             Reading Number                       Reading Topic                        

9/13                 1                                   A definition of service-learning

                        2                                  Typology of service-learning

9/15                 3                                  Mentoring/Big Brothers

                        4                                  Training Handouts on Mentoring

9/29                5                                  Chapter 1 in Community Psychology Text

                        6                                  Childhood Abuse

10/4                 7                                  Urban Neighborhoods & Mental Health

10/6                 8                                  Chapter 5 in Community Psychology Text

                                                            Chapter 7 in Community Psy. Text (optional)

10/13               9                                  Mentoring for Resilience

10/18               10                                 Scared Straight

10/18               11                                 Restorative Justice #1

                        12                                 Restorative Justice #2

10/20               13                                 U.S. Department of Justice

10/25               14                                 Restorative Justice Circles: The Impact

                        15                                 Code of the Streets

11/29               16                                 Pulling Levers: Getting Deterrence Right

21/1                 17                                 Seeking Safety

12/8                 18                                 Resilience: From Research to Practice

CJ/PSY 355 SYLLABUS – Semester 1 (Spring, 2005)

Date           Class           Topic                          Readings/Assignments        

Date           Class           Topic                          Readings/Assignments        

                              Guidelines for Reflection Papers

 
1.         Take some time and think about the session with the guest speaker.

2.         Describe your thoughts, positive and negative about the session with the Guest Speaker.  Within this section you should cover the main points of the presentation.. I am most interested in thoughtful, considered, honest reactions.  There are no specific questions that you must address in this section. Some questions you may want to focus on follow:

·         What was most interesting to you? Why?

·         What was most thought-provoking?

·         Did any part of the presentation challenge any of your previously-held beliefs? 

·         Did the speaker make points or assert views that you found “hard to swallow,”        inconsistent with your own views or otherwise troubling? On the other hand, did the speaker make points that you especially agree with?

·         Afterwards, what questions are you left with?

·         What emotions did the session generate in you? Why?

·         What were some of the major strengths of the session? Weaknesses? Why?

·         What is your overall rating or evaluation of the session as a learning experience?

·         What other thoughts do you have about this session

3.         Integration: Provide at least four examples that describe how the information you learned from the speaker is consistent or inconsistent with what you learned in the text or through class discussions.  You are required to include a citation from the discussion or text information.  The following is an example:

“Joan Scanlon, in her discussion of domestic violence, explained that male victims rarely report abuse because they often experience feelings of shame and humiliation.  This is consistent our class discussion.  According to Blank’s description of a Philadelphia study of domestic violence (Jan. 26, 2004), only 10% of all male victims report the abuse.  This is further illustrated in the text.  Albanese (p. 65) cites: “A summary of the research indicates that males rarely report being victims of abuse…” 

 
4.         Recommendation: Address whether or not you think this speaker should be invited back to speak with future students. Provide an explanation. Simply saying “because she was interesting,” is not adequate. You should provide more detail.  For example, “she was interesting because…”

            5.         Format:  Papers should be typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Please take care to express yourself fully and clearly using complete sentences. Try to be thoughtful.  Don’t just write, “I liked it” or “I did not learn very much.”   Please provide specific reactions and feedback, both pro and con.
 

6.         Length: I expect that most papers will be a minimum of four typed pages.

Journal Guidelines

Journals should have an entry after each mentee contact and course meeting. Each entry should begin with the day, date, and concepts.

Reflection Questions for your journal include:

1). What happened today? And What did I do?

2). What were the effects of what I did?

3). How did my service (or course) today make me feel?

4). What relationships am I building?

5). How does what I am observing at my placement relate to concepts and ideas we are currently learning in class?

6). Please provide examples for each of the questions.

Term Paper Guidelines

We are looking for an overview of criminal justice or community psychology topics related to community service-learning via mentoring (ie. mentoring programs for at-risk youth). Some topics are so broad that you will need to focus your paper on part of that topic.

Your paper should be organized as follows:

I. Introduction (1 page)

A. Provide a paragraph on your subject using previous research.

B. Define the major concepts or key terms

C. State your purpose or rational for your paper and what question you have concerning your topic.

II. Literature Review (3-5 pages)

A. A discussion of theories and research related to the topic. This section should follow chronological order beginning with the earliest reference based on primary and secondary sources

B. An in-depth discussion of a person’s theory or research related to your topic based on primary sources

C. Compare and contrast your sources

D. Identify strengths and weaknesses of your sources

III. Conclusion (1-2 pages)

A. A restatement of your original question and an answer to it

B. Major contributions or accomplishments in terms of research on your topic

C. Possible ideas for future study on your topic

Helpful Hints

1. You should have 5-8 double-spaced pages of text, plus a  title page and a reference page

2 All of your pages should be numbered

3. Use either MLA or APA style of writing

4. You should have at least one citation/reference per paragraph

5. Include primary and secondary sources

            -A primary source is a book about Freud written by Freud

            -An original research study written by the researcher

6. Photocopy every article that you reference in your paper and staple it to your final paper

7. Avoid internet sources unless they are primary sources

8. Plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for the term paper which will ultimately contribute to your final grade.

9. All citations have a matching reference

10. All references have at least one citation

11. Paper is proofread carefully for spelling, grammar and format

12. Paper is stapled