A Qualitative Case Study: The Lived Educational Experiences of Former Juvenile Delinquents

Authors

William E. Donges, Capella UniversityFollow

Abstract

The impact of juvenile delinquency on society is an issue of great concern. The impact of delinquent behaviors goes beyond the victim to include the offender, the offender’s family and society as a whole. A review of the existing literature reveals multiple studies, which examine delinquency from a causal perspective. Despite the efforts of researchers a definitive causal link is not readily determined. Ethical concerns centering around a quantitative study on delinquency precludes the discovery of such a causal link. Utilizing a qualitative study approach we may not be able to identify causal relationships; however, this approach provides clear insight into the lived experiences of the individuals being studied and in turn offers us the possibility of understanding what these experiences were and how they possibly impacted the individual. It is through this understanding of the lived experiences that we gain insight. This insight will, hopefully, facilitate the prediction of and the mediation of anti-social juvenile behavior.

Keywords

Juvenile Delinquency, Adjudication, Lived Experiences, Education, and Qualitative Case Study

Author Bio(s)

Dr. William Donges is an educator who has worked with adjudicated youth in a residential facility since 2001. Prior to that he worked in the public schools as a high school chemistry teacher. His experience centers on youth ages 14 to 21 at various academic levels. These individuals are all court placed in residential facilities. He holds a MEd in Special Education, a behavior management specialist certificate, and a PhD in educational psychology. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: William E. Donges Jr., PhD, 501 Windy Hill Rd, Lot 14, Shermans Dale, PA, 17090, bdonges@hotmail.com.

Publication Date

7-13-2015

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2189

Recommended APA Citation

Donges, W. E. (2015). A Qualitative Case Study: The Lived Educational Experiences of Former Juvenile Delinquents. The Qualitative Report, 20(7), 1009-1028. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2189