Abstract
This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a multidisciplinary truancy intervention based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Participants were clients of the Community Intervention Project (CIP) who had received an initial needs assessment (incorporating the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Moos Family Environment Scales (FES)), and the resulting intervention between February and December 1997. Clients were administered the same assessment six months after beginning treatment.
Results indicated that the CIP successfully lowered the rate of truancy. In addition, results from the YSR showed statistically significant improvements among females for depression, aggression and delinquency, while male delinquency scores approached, but did not reach significant improvement. Results from the FES showed clients reported less family conflict, but no changes in family cohesiveness and expressiveness. Reasons for attending school were revealing: 58% of clients said they attended school because they had to, and 54% said they didn't attend school because it was boring.
It appears that the CIP was able to favourably influence problematic behaviours and associated risk factors. Given the complex, multi-factorial nature of truanting behaviour it appears prudent to adopt a multidisciplinary model for intervention that focuses on both individual and community (including schools) level factors. Long-term maintenance of improvement that occurred during the intervention period remains unknown.