A Case Study Examination of Male Former Youth Offenders' School Reentry Challenges and Factors Enabling Their Academic Success

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Glover, C. (2016). A Case Study Examination of Male Former Youth Offenders' School Reentry Challenges and Factors Enabling Their Academic Success. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Youth offenders often struggle to successfully return to their communities and schools after release from confinement. The reasons for this struggle are well documented, as is the fact that school engagement and success (before and after confinement) are closely associated with delinquency and recidivism. Despite this, little attention has been given to examining the specific school reentry challenges that reentering youth offenders face, as well as the supports and motivating factors that enabled some to succeed. In response, this dissertation analyzed the success stories of former youth offenders who returned to their schools from confinement, graduated, and remained out of the justice system. To do this, a single case study was conducted with four "successful" former youth offenders. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with this analysis yielding four central themes: (1) Managing and Balancing: Dealing with School Reentry Challenges; (2) I Did It, With Help: The Types and Role of Social Support; (3) No Other Choice: Motivating Factors for Reentry Success; and (4) It’s a Process: Sustaining Motivation for Reentry Success. The findings illustrated the school reentry challenges for former youth offenders and how social supports and motivation are both critical, and complement each other, for those achieving success. Furthermore, it was revealed that because reentry is a process with many challenges, failures, and setbacks, motivation must be sustained and persistent. This is done, in part, through embracing weakness and a lack of confidence in the ability to be successful in isolation. The participants in this study did not necessarily expect success, which led them to be more diligent in setting boundaries, sticking to strategies, and leaning upon others for help. In the end, the findings and recommendations provided in this study allow for schools to imagine how to improve their services for youth offenders and ensure that they become the protective factor that is so desperately needed. Doing so could significantly reduce the recidivism rates for youth offenders and provide significant cost savings to broader society.

Details
Author

Glover, Christopher

Title

A Case Study Examination of Male Former Youth Offenders' School Reentry Challenges and Factors Enabling Their Academic Success

Physical Description

1 online resource (201 pages) : PDF

Date

2016

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Youth offenders often struggle to successfully return to their communities and schools after release from confinement. The reasons for this struggle are well documented, as is the fact that school engagement and success (before and after confinement) are closely associated with delinquency and recidivism. Despite this, little attention has been given to examining the specific school reentry challenges that reentering youth offenders face, as well as the supports and motivating factors that enabled some to succeed. In response, this dissertation analyzed the success stories of former youth offenders who returned to their schools from confinement, graduated, and remained out of the justice system. To do this, a single case study was conducted with four "successful" former youth offenders. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with this analysis yielding four central themes: (1) Managing and Balancing: Dealing with School Reentry Challenges; (2) I Did It, With Help: The Types and Role of Social Support; (3) No Other Choice: Motivating Factors for Reentry Success; and (4) It’s a Process: Sustaining Motivation for Reentry Success. The findings illustrated the school reentry challenges for former youth offenders and how social supports and motivation are both critical, and complement each other, for those achieving success. Furthermore, it was revealed that because reentry is a process with many challenges, failures, and setbacks, motivation must be sustained and persistent. This is done, in part, through embracing weakness and a lack of confidence in the ability to be successful in isolation. The participants in this study did not necessarily expect success, which led them to be more diligent in setting boundaries, sticking to strategies, and leaning upon others for help. In the end, the findings and recommendations provided in this study allow for schools to imagine how to improve their services for youth offenders and ensure that they become the protective factor that is so desperately needed. Doing so could significantly reduce the recidivism rates for youth offenders and provide significant cost savings to broader society.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Juvenile Justice
Reentry
School-To-Prison Pipeline
Youth Offenders

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Lewis, Chance

Committee Members

Butler, Bettie
Harden, Susan
Hancock, Stephen

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2016.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Glover_uncc_0694D_11163

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:546