Use of Research Evidence by Juvenile Justice and Youth Service Professionals: A Research Note

The current study utilized focus group interviews to examine use of research evidence by juvenile justice and youth service professionals. It was undertaken to help explain why social research is underutilized in determining policy and practice. Through focus group interviews, the current study expl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice policy review 2016-06, Vol.27 (4), p.402-419
Main Authors: Johnson, Lee Michael, Lebold, Susan M., Elam, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children & youth
Group research
Interviews
Justice
Juvenile justice
Professionals
Program evaluation
Public policy
Services
Social research
Youth
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The current study utilized focus group interviews to examine use of research evidence by juvenile justice and youth service professionals. It was undertaken to help explain why social research is underutilized in determining policy and practice. Through focus group interviews, the current study explored research use among professionals providing various local services to troubled youth in a one-county area. A total of 35 professionals participated in four focus groups. Results suggest that participants have limited knowledge and awareness of research evidence, though they were very familiar with evidence-based programming itself. The need continues for strategies to bring research and the field closer together in an effort to develop more effective policies and practices. For example, public policy and research/evaluation firms should be given a major role in pursuing this mission.
ISSN:0887-4034
1552-3586
DOI:10.1177/0887403414548314