Exploring the Efficacy of a Debate Program for At-Risk Youth

Whether or not a debate program will be effective in its ability to improve Florida DJJ students’ educational attainment is oriented around two fundamental questions: First, how can debate build the skills needed for escaping the cycle of incarceration? Second, how can the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice expand debate education? For the former, the study uses an analysis of a pre- and post-program survey that assesses the students’ reported confidence levels across six essential skills using the Likert Scale. The reports indicate increases in confidence among the class in each skill: argument/information retention, argumentative skills, research skills, argument comparison, self-advocacy, and educational affinity. Regarding the second question, information from interviews between myself and the educational directors across seven different DJJ facilities was pooled to inform a guide for implementing debate programs for DJJ youth. Varying recommendations for different types of sites are encouraged at the bottom of the paper.