Increasing Self-Concept Through Group Work with At-Risk Youth

• Main Author: Nibblins-Davis, Lorie
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adolescents; Control Groups; Educational Environment; Educational Policy; Educational psychology; Educational Quality; Grade 4; Grade 5; Group Counseling; Group Therapy; High School Students; Nontraditional Education; Psychological Services; School counseling; Skill Development; Urban Schools
• ISBN: 1124547673; 9781124547671

The impact of a group counseling intervention on increasing self-concept and decreasing anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior, and anger of at-risk youth was investigated in this study. Students ages 13 to 17 were selected to participate in the study based on the determination that they were at-risk for increased disciplinary involvement, poor academic performance, delinquency, visible signs of abuse and/or neglect, promiscuity, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, involvement within the juvenile justice system, and so forth. It was hypothesized that a group counseling intervention with at-risk youth that attended to helping students to resolve both internal and external conflicts would result in the following: That (a) self-concept would increase, (b) anxiety would decrease, (c) depression would decrease, (d) disruptive behaviors would decrease, and (e) anger would decrease from pre- to post-intervention. Regarding the second research question, it was hypothesized that students would report that they felt heard, valued, and respected as result of being in the group. Following the group intervention, students’ self-concept scores improved significantly. Furthermore, the students reflected positive experiences that surfaced from their participation in the group. These findings are congruent with the increasing amount of research supporting the impact of group counseling with at-risk youth.