Background/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a 28 week implementation of Hellison's Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model (TPSR) with 16 Latino gang youth. This sport-based youth development program emphasized the learning of five TPSR levels including respect and self-control, effort and participation, caring and leadership, self-direction, and transference. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using: (a) participants' reports of personal and social responsibility levels, (b) transference of skills, and (c) participants' descriptions of the effectiveness of the program.
Method Using a mixed methodology, data were collected from multiple sources. Qualitative data sources included field observations, goal setting journals, and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data sources included the administration of a validated Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire, school attendance records, grades, suspensions, and police records tracking arrests and field contacts.
Analysis/Results The results of the quantitative data demonstrated significant increases in personal and social responsibility levels, modest improvements of grade point averages, and significant reductions of police contacts, arrests, and suspensions after the intervention. Qualitative data reflected quantitative findings. Participants reported making significant improvements on the first four TPSR developmental levels in the program as well as significant transfer of skills to other life domains.
Conclusions Participants' descriptions of the program indicated that they greatly preferred the essential features and strategies of TPSR over traditional sport settings. While extending the TPSR empirical base, the results of this study provide sound support for TPSR as a valid developmental intervention for Latino gang affiliated youth.