Weymouth Girls' School: a study of what is, with a view to what might be

Abstract

This thesis sets out to examine an institution for delinquent girls and to compare its functioning with that of a therapeutic community. It is suggested that if a proposed modified structure based on the concept of the therapeutic community were adopted for Weymouth Girls' School, the institution's effectiveness in working toward the rehabilitation of the inmates could be increased. This thesis is divided into six major chapters and following the introduction, opens with an analysis of the aims of institutions for juvenile delinquents in terms of their needs. It is concluded that three elements are critical to the effectiveness of an institution. These are the attitudes of staff members toward the residents, the totality of the environment and the influence of the peer group. In the third chapter the therapeutic community is put forward as an 'ideal type' on the grounds that it is a concept that has been developed to maximize the positive potential of all these elements in terms of the welfare of the residents. The principles which form the basis of the therapeutic community are outlined, drawing on the concept as developed in the psychiatric field but with special reference to institutions for juvenile delinquents. A description of life at the institution under study, Weymouth Girls' School, is provided in the next chapter. This description focusses on the structure of the institution, the characteristics of staff and inmates, and the patterns of interaction within the institution. The discrepancies between the ideal and the reality as described, are outlined in the fifth chapter. These discrepancies are focussed on five key factors: therapy, the organisation of work, education and recreation, decision-making and the allocation of responsibility, communication and crisis resolution. Methods by which the ideal and the reality could be brought closer together are outlined in the final chapter. A modified structure based on a philosophy which allows for the integration of all activity in the institution around the principles of the therapeutic community is suggested. This modified structure places greater emphasis on group participation for all members of the institution environment than currently exists. This thesis is based on the assumption that it is essential that attention be paid to the needs of staff members if the needs of inmates are to be met. As a result equal emphasis is given to both inmates and staff members in considering methods of increasing the effectiveness of the institution. The research for this thesis was conducted through the method of participant observation while the author was employed as a temporary staff member at the institution. Research was carried out over a period of three months from November 1975 to February 1976 and in addition the author spent three and a half months working in the institution during the previous summer. The length of this thesis does not permit a full and detailed analysis of all the issues involved in an attempt to apply the concept of the therapeutic community to Weymouth Girls' School. For this reason, only the primary principles on which institutional care should be based have been outlined and only the key elements of a structure which facilitates the implementation of these principles have been discussed. It is hoped that this information is sufficient to achieve the aim of indicating that the effectiveness of institutions for juvenile delinquents in New Zealand could conceivably be increased within the frame of reference of available resources.