The effectiveness of diversion program

Chen (2006) stated that contemporary diversion program in Taiwan provided a shelter for the youth who faced unexpected family crisis, lost family, had sexual assaults, was engaged in sexual transaction, got pregnant before marriage, dropped out of school,

ran away from home, had deviant behavior or committed crime. These factors were often influenced by the family of origins of the youth. The diversion program intervenes to support and supply the welfare for these youths. In order to compensate the lost functions of the family and school, they give the youths teaching and care giving.

According to Kou and Tsung (1999) there are five different needs for the youth during their physical and psychological development. 1. The need to be protected and ensure the living. The youth were able to receive basic physical care and needs for living. 2.

The need of maintaining a healthy body. The youth were able to live in a healthy social environment and also to be able to establish self esteem. 3. The need of being taken care of by others. The youth often did not have enough experiences and ability to make mature judgments. Therefore, they should be given cares by care takers to help them grow into maturity. 4. The need of education and counseling. The youth should be able to receive the opportunities, knowledge for living and education provided by society. 5.

The need of leisure and recreation. The youth should be able to expend their interests in different areas and develop their potentials and upgrade their psychological wellbeing and social adaption. These needs above are now provided by the diversion center since their family of origins of the juveniles did not have the function to provide these needs for them anymore. The diversion center also provided the juveniles with not only teaching but also doing social services, and any learning and working opportunities.

The former director of the diversion pointed out during the interview that what they tried to give and provide these juvenile was a more positive and better life. She described that 95% of the youth who came into the diversion were from a dysfunctional family or even had no family at all. Therefore, they did not know how to have a relationship with others, or their values were twisted. That was why they followed their friends to do whatever that they were doing.

在這邊的孩子，第一個他們最重要的就是，因為他們的家庭，幾乎啦，大 概有 95%因為家庭沒有功能。或是根本沒有家庭。所以這些孩子在成長的過 程當中。他們幾乎沒有所謂的，包括人際界線，他跟人之間彼此怎麽對待

啦。價值觀念，都沒有。所以他只要誰叫他去做什麽，朋友啦，廟會啦，

吸毒啦，打架啦，他們就跟著去。那我們主要在教導就是要建立一個，至 少是我在當主任的時候，我比較希望，是給他們一個比較正確，比較好的，

有價值的人生觀。(主任)

When the juveniles like I1, J1 and K1 talked about their past, many of them said that they were short tempered and easily irritated.

之前喔，就吊兒啷噹，缺點很多，說不完啦。我以前的個性比較暴躁，可 能有人說個幾句，我就抓狂了。會打人阿。(I1)

However, J1 said that he is now calmer and tries to think what he is going to say before he says it.

因為以前很暴躁，以前就是很台阿。就是…怎麼講，聽一些舞曲，出去飆車 阿。然後，脾氣像流氓。不爽的話就開打了。然後很衝動。很暴躁這樣。

在這邊變得比較平靜。就…思考自己要講的話到底要講什麼。(J1)

恩，以前是只要有人挑性我我就會回阿。不然就是上去ㄑㄧㄠˊ，後來現 在，我改很多。(K1)

After the interviews and the manuscripts were analyzed, the author found that the diversion was not only a place to correct the behavior and attitudes of the juveniles or a place to detain them, but it is also a place providing new opportunities and teaching as well as a place they feel home. It gives juveniles a chance to see themselves in a different way and to find their potentials. According to the former director of this diversion, they did not teach them any particular thing but to accompany these juveniles during their time in diversion. Those who accompany them is what matters to them.

They provide the juveniles with positive role models to look up to. The director thinks that because these juveniles grew up in an environment without any positive role model or anyone with a “father” figure to accompany them. Therefore, they did not know how to have a good relationship with others, or how to be a man. However, what they are trying to do in this diversion is to have their social workers, teachers act as positive role

models for the juveniles to follow and care takers to accompany them and in hope of these positive role models would influence or change the juveniles in one way or another. She suggested that this way of teaching work efficiently in this diversion center.

那我覺得啦，你說他們有沒有什麽改變？有啦。都有改變啦。那你說這改 變是因為教育嗎？我覺得不是ㄟ，我覺得不是我們"教"他們什麽？或是我們 在我們的課程裡給他們什麽？我覺得是"人"。是跟陪伴他的人，做他的一個 榜樣的時候。比如說，他們可能從小到大，都沒有一個很好的父子關係。

所以他不知道怎麽樣當一個男孩子阿。一個正確的男孩子，或是一個正確 的男人。或是他要怎麽去對待朋友，他們覺得朋友就是要怎樣，就是要有 義氣阿。可是那不一定是正確的。那我覺得，我至少在那邊的時候，我當 時其實一個很重要的功課，就是訓練我的同工。就是要把這些同工培養好。

讓他們成為一個很正向的，很陪伴的。在我們當中，一年兩年當中，他有 一個正向的人，可以讓他認同，可以讓他學習。我是覺得說我比較傾向生 命是可以影響生命的。而不是說是用教育去改變。我覺得要用教育去改變，

ㄜ~基本上他還是一個理想啦。阿如果是生命的，我有這個生命，那我陪伴 你一段時間。你會不會改變？我是有看到。我是有看到這樣的東西。(主任) From the manuscripts of the juveniles’ interviews, it showed that after spending a period of time in the diversion, most of the juveniles had realized and understood what they had done was wrong. When they compared and talked about their life before and after the diversion. They could easily tell that they were not what they used to be. Most of the juveniles said that they did not like their life before the diversion, and now they got to know how to live their life in a better way. They found themselves ‘better’ in daily life and they have good personality as well as being more thoughtful. There are fewer fights or quarrels and all of them described that their life is much ‘calmer’

compared with their life before. The juvenile such as B1 had a chance to know that they could and should deserve to have a better life and he started to dislike what he had done and who he was before the diversion.

回去之後，應該也不會像之前那樣子了吧。我想要改變自我，以前那樣子 不好，毀掉我的前途。就讓老師討厭我，不然我本來成績是可以去資優班

的。有機會回學校的話，就會想要好好讀書了。(B1)

C1 said that they he will not be going after his old friends after diversion. He also said that apart from smoking, he will not be using drug or fight with others anymore because he found those activities meaningless. He wanted a new life and go to school or work.

回去之後應該也不會找那些朋友了吧。找了又被牽扯進去，要找也要找一 些有意義的朋友。出去之後喔，除了抽菸以外吧! 但是毒品，打架那些其他 都不會想要做了，覺得那個很沒有意義。我不想要回到以前得自己，我想 重新過自己。嘿阿…我寧願乖乖去上課，乖乖工作，什麼都好。(C1) He followed and said that he used to have emotional problem as well as he has the record of trying to kill himself many time. He has scars all over his arms as well as on this body. However, with the help of the teachers and social workers, he is now getting better and started to change himself.

我改變其實還滿多，脾氣改掉，髒話還好。說實在我有一個小小的事，就 是我有情緒問題現在就比較好一點。個性上有一點粗暴，以前換過皮膚之 前，我的皮膚上有一兩千個疤喔，就整隻手這樣畫。在這邊也有逃跑四次 過，都被抓到。然後自殘好幾次。嘿阿。但是在這邊就有慢慢改變我自己，

多虧這邊社工老師的幫忙 (C1)

D1 talked about what he had done before the diversion and confessed that he was not thoughtful enough. He knew those activities were illegal and decided not to take part in anymore. He also found himself more thoughtful and learned to think twice before he acts. In other words, he felt that he is better now in terms of personality. His mother also thought that he is better now, compared with what he was before the diversion.

我覺得以前的事情就是不懂事而已吧。出去之後應該就不會想要在做了，

違法的事情誰想要做。就出去再看看吧。現在就比較會想了吧。會想比較 多。那…事前三十秒事後沒煩惱。哈哈~就是做什麼事情要先想三十秒，考 慮要不要去做。現在很重要嘛。就比較看重。然後個性方面阿，就有變比

較好。現在變得比較好阿，媽媽也說比較好。他說現在的我比較好，以前 的我不好。(D1)

F1, who was the heavy drinker and also the lead vocalist of a band in the diversion, said that he likes his life now and wants to quit drinking. However, he is not sure if his friends will ask him to drink again. He likes the days without alcohol. He feels that his physical health is in a good condition. His voice is also getting better and sounds nicer without alcohol.

對阿，我覺得現在這個生活很好。出去之後喔，我不知道ㄟ。我現在覺得，

如果我朋友找我，回來了，唱歌。唱歌的意思就是要喝酒。可是我想要戒 ㄋㄟ。好不容易已經可以不碰酒了。沒有碰，當然比較好阿。體力比較好，

精神也比較好。力氣差很多，聲音也差很多。以前喝酒的時候。吼~對阿。

不好聽。現在就不會阿，可以唱高音阿。以前都不能。對阿。(F1)

Both G1 and H1 said that their life is now more in a regular pattern. G1 said he is now gentler and comes to realize that all he has to do is to mind his own business.

現在變得比較平靜，變得比較斯文。對阿，就是在想，每個人都有自己的 位置阿，阿就做好自己的位置就好了。阿不必去管其他的東西。其他的人 也不想管。(G1)

Apart from having a more regular life, H1, who was using drug said that he does not want to use it anymore after the diversion. He realizes now that it is a waste of money.

有阿，現在生活比較規律。出去之後喔，也不會在吃了吧。如果真的要吃 的話，平常去學校的時候就會想辦法了吧。他們就都會來問阿。阿戒都戒 掉了阿。去碰那個ㄍㄟ瞭錢ㄟ。(H1)

I1 said that he can see things more clearly now and some of his friends said that he has changed a lot, especially his temper and his personality.

現在是有些事情看的比較透了啦，看的比較清。阿有一些朋友是說我脾氣，

個性都是有變。(I1)

J1 also described his life is calmer now. He learnt how to calm himself down and no longer hurt himself from fighting now. He also felt that he has changed a lot, especially his personality. He learnt how to talk and communicate with others. He also comes to realize that fighting cannot solve the problems. He found it hard to be patient and not to use his fists to solve the problems. However, he is making progress and knows that he is here in the diversion for a makeover and will be better and that there is no need for fighting.

現在的生活比較平靜，ㄟ~可以讓我學習平靜一下，不要就是打打殺殺的生 活，就不會像以前很多傷口。阿就是跟人家打架的傷口。我覺得我的個性 改了很多。就是不會像以前那樣，跟人家講不合就要打。現在就跟人家學 著好好講。就是不會隨便動拳頭。有時候很難ㄟ。阿有先比較簡單的就控 制的了，就心裡想說，在這邊是要改變的。不需要打架，就跟他好好講。

對阿…保護官有叫我不要在這邊打架。(J1)

Similar to J1, K1 also said that his life is calmer now, especially after he has learnt about Christianity and he knows how to calm himself down. He finds himself better now, with his temper milder. Although he still goes to the internet café; however, he would always retune home on time. Unlike the days before the diversion, he does not stay in the internet café whole day or run away from home and school. He feels safer and more secure now.

因為現在的生活讓我比較平靜阿，因為接觸到教會之後，我就開始平靜了 下來。我覺得現在的自己比較好。雖然像我還是會去網咖，但是我會按時 間回來。這樣子。沒有像之前那樣逃學逃家，或是整天就在網咖裡面。阿

因為現在的生活讓我比較平靜阿，因為接觸到教會之後，我就開始平靜了 下來。我覺得現在的自己比較好。雖然像我還是會去網咖，但是我會按時 間回來。這樣子。沒有像之前那樣逃學逃家，或是整天就在網咖裡面。阿