On Assessing the Effects of Official Reactions to Juvenile Delinquency

Intervention effects have been minimized or denied in delin quency literature. The theoretical and methodological difficulties of assessing intervention effects are discussed. A set of methods featuring the interrupted time series experimental design are de veloped and illustrated with data from the Provo Experiment. Pro nounced effects of intervention are found, independent of the effects due to maturation and differential opportunity. The findings comport closely to a social control model and provide little sup port for labeling theory. Replications and elaborations of the design are urged.