Feature Combating delinquent behavior Helping kids get back into thegame by Cliff Johnson K ids refer to ~tas "cruising in neutral." For parents and ec ~ca'ss. 81 0s an en gma At tne be? tdre of Ite tnat seems to hod so mLcn promtse for foJng peope far too man" oron out Tnev stoo oart~c~oat~nd In llie out dowil thgse wno 00 I become Reve? Don Hell for the 1 akz iov In hvin~a. nd delinquents. slng this problem has been ison's professional mlssion 3 "ears he's been -, -- ----- ed with PSU as a professor :al educat~onIn the School 01 nealtn and Phvsicai E Tne 24-carat phrase0 oescr o ng what ne son ocvc opr~gprograms an< metnoooloo es to ntewe hlgh-risk y&h, ages 12 HISwork has attracted tt .aucat~on. OgY does is, I ne with through 18 ie atte?tion launch'a Drolect ?hat could emolov sports as'a weapon to fiuht ,---, ,-, . But Helllson's project is a far cry from the notion, which remains prevalent in many quarters to this dav. that oeitino troubled vouth ~ r ~rarlul s delinquem of acts, ; organize Helllson in and bl rnay3o: llllbLl runnlr some Wh use o prom1 as tht ---,. can put an end to thelr delinquency. "Most of the research suggests &L-. -.. t kids who are into ncy, or predelinquent kinds aren't really attracted to d activities involv~ngsports," says. And those who do "go 1rn off a lot of steam." still lut afterwards and create IWI. "They're just better at lg away after they steal thing." Helllson joked ruefully. at is key in his approach IS the f sports activities (and the nlon of sportsmanlike conduct) ? intervention med!um for wurvatlng undesirable behavior: , rather than regarding such actlvrnes as the desired end result. Heliison employs sports actlvltles to help establish some rudments of socially acceptable behav~orIn delinquents whlch the rest of us take for granted. Typ~cal strategies Include cooperative games, rnaktng dectstons as a group, having one student teach another, and recording indlvldual and group proqress In Hellison's approach, he admits. Young people who are not involved, continued their outreach effons Typically, they build a PE program who are "cruising in neutral." are under his guidance. and demand that vouna ~eoole shown wavs to bemme involved so Conduct~nownrkahnnc tor adjust to its rigor< whereas 'Hellison devises PE programs tallored to f ~ t the special needs of delinquents and their pmbiems Helllson's current approach results from 11 years of trying new ideas with vounu delinouents. "There weren't veiv mar& models in the beginning, so I couldn't copy anybody," he recalls. Perfecting his strategies usually meant Hellison was forced to work wlth klds when and where he found them in need. efther durlng existing PE periods, or else In classes he created with the permission of the schools involved. whether they were ~nner-city. alternatlve, state-run. or eise youth manpower centers. To combat the delinquent behavior of klds who stay un~nvoived,or who put down those who are, use excuses, con others, display abusive behavior. and who feel no nower to change their lives, H~lison7emplo~s dlrect reactions to each of these undesirabletraits. Those who feel powerlessnessare told about ways in which some control of their lives can be put back In their hands. they can begin feeling some coniroi, teacheXandyoithwTiek during perhaps for the ftrst time in years. recent regional and national But the maln leverage which conventions of the American Alliance Heliison finds changes behavfor for of Health Phystcal Educat~on the better IS so s~mplethat ~toften is ~ecreatidnand Dance also hes overlooked. He has never known a brought wider professional exposure kld who didn't want to do better, for Heliison's concepts. once all the bravado and bad acting Do Hellison's teachings really help was stripped away. This 1s the the disc~pitneproblems teachers and behavtorai tralt whlch Helllson and parents have? Teachers and schwl his counselors exploit. districts which invlte hlm and hls The young dei~nquents,during colleagues back for further Sports actlvltles, are repeatedly told, wnsultations thlnk so. For exa "It's your job, not mine. I'm not going the Calgary school system in F to lean on you. You've got to lean on Canada. has almost totally yourself" These concepts are the incorporated h ~ tseachlngs into opposite of letting them lean on the phys~cael ducation programs. system, and then ttylng to get out of And what about the k~ds dolng what the system wants. themselves7 Being exposed to Support by the Governor'sCouncil Hellison's teachlngs glves many of has made it possibie for Hellison to them a bright spot In thelr ilves, but traln several health and PE even Helllson will admit that they're profess~onais,so they In turn can go still struggilng along. Modesty Into the fleid and conduct workshops overcomes hope when he muses and consuitations w~thschool that some klds have gotten better, teachers and districts across Oregon. "but maybe not due to me. Who Even when federai funding for the knows? There are so many other tralning process dried up, most of influences on a kld's life, and you Heillson's people remained have such a little piece of it." wmrnitted to his concepts and have mple, {lberta, its
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