Functional Family Therapy
Problems addressed
Recidivism
Low parental skills
Juvenile delinquency
Effectiveness

Effective

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Effective

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Life periods served
Teenagers (14 to 17 years)
Where the program was applied
Community (streets or community centers)
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a brief family therapy and redirection program for young people aged 11 to 18 who are in conflict with the law. The aim is to help them overcome behavioral problems, psychoactive substance use, and involvement in crime.
It proposes the following stages:
1) Commitment, which protects young people and families from leaving the program prematurely;
2) Motivation, designed to change maladaptive emotional reactions and beliefs, as well as to increase hope for lasting change;
3) Assessment, aimed at understanding the individual, the family system, and interpersonal functions;
4) Behavior change, which consists of communication training, specific tasks, parenting skills, and techniques;
5) Generalization, during which the management of family cases is guided by individual functional needs.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation study showed that program participants and their siblings were less likely to reoffend, and there was an improvement in family interaction patterns [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Alexander, J. F. & Parsons, B. V. (1973). Short-term behavioral intervention with delinquent families: Impact on family process and recidivism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 81(3), 219–225. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034537

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