Nieuwe Perspectieven in Onderzoek

Abstract

Youth delinquency is a serious problem concerning both youth and the society. New Perspectives (NP) is an intervention aiming to reduce delinquent behavior among at-risk youth aged 12 to 23 years old. The present study investigated the long term effects of NP on the relationships with friends and whether the effects were influenced by gender. The participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (NP, n = 12) and care as usual (CAU, n = 7). Data of the participants were retrieved through self-reports. Multivariate analyses (MANOVA) were conducted to examine the main intervention effects and moderator effects. The NP group and CAU group did not differ regarding to deviant and prosocial friends. Furthermore, gender did not moderate the effects of NP on friend relationships. There remains a need for further well-designed research containing a larger sample in order to draw valid conclusions regarding the effectiveness of NP.