Intervention Principles and Practice Guidelines for - Underage ...

Practice Guideline 10
Apply sanctions for noncompliance, when necessary, and increase positive
reinforcement.
Swift, certain, and consistent sanctions should be applied for unacceptable behavior, particularly
instances of drinking or engaging in activities that are a danger to the offender or others. When
this is necessary, however, it becomes increasingly vital to reward constructive behaviors positively.
People respond better to incentives than to punishment. Research has shown the optimal ratio to be
four positive reinforcements for every one that is negative (Andrews, Bonta, & Hoge, 1990). Positive
reinforcements are crucial because (Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, 2001):
• People respond better to positive reinforcement than to sanctions.
• Timely, consistent responses help youth change to prosocial behaviors.
• Clear expectations and definite boundaries guide youth toward behavioral goals.
A continuum of sanctions and incentives should be available so that youth can receive the
appropriate level of response. This continuum, or graduated response model, is predicated on
responding to lesser infractions with lesser penalty and responding to greater infractions (or ongoing
lesser infractions) with greater penalty. Similarly, continued compliance or a particular accomplishment,
or notable positive behavior, would merit increasing reward. Exhibit V-p provides a graphic
representation of a graduated response model. The bolder line for incentives corresponds to the
greater emphasis that should be placed on giving positive responses.
A cogent, well-designed system of responses can influence the level of cooperation or resistance
presented by the offender. Taxman, Soule, and Gelb (1999) examined several research projects to
identify the features necessary to a graduated sanctions model. Those features can be applied as well
to graduated incentives and are:
• Certainty: Respond to every infraction or compliance.
• Celerity: Respond swiftly. Sanctions or incentives are most effective if they closely follow the
behavior being disapproved of or rewarded.
• Consistency: Respond to similar infractions or levels of compliance with similar responses.
• Parsimony: Respond at the least level that is likely to produce the desired result.
• Proportionality: The level of response should equal the level of the offense or compliance.
• Progressiveness: Continued noncompliance results in increasingly severe responses and
continuing compliance merits increasing rewards.
• Neutrality: Responses are an objective, impartial reaction to an offense or compliance.
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