Assessing the relationships among delinquent male students' disruptive and violent behavior and staff's proactive and reactive behavior in a secure residential treatment center

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among students' disruptive and violent behavior and staff's use of proactive and reactive strategies in a secure residential treatment center serving delinquent adolescent males. One hundred hours of observational data were collected, and linear regression models were used to explore the degree to which students' behavior and staff's behavior predict violence. Results indicate that a moderate to strong relationship exists between students' disruptive and violent behavior, although these relationships vary across settings within the facility. Data suggest that these locations differ in staff coverage, staff's use of proactive strategies, focal activity, and behavioral expectations, thus accounting for differences in the strengths of the relationships. Further analyses reveal that regardless of location, students' disruptive behavior is the best predictor of students' violent behavior.