The Missouri Delinquency Project (MDP) was developed in 1983 through the cooperation of the Missouri Department of Social Services (Division of Youth Services), the Missouri Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court, and the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) to deliver treatments to juvenile offenders and their families in the natural environment (home, school, peer group, neighborhood) and to train mental health professionals to provide such treatments.  Housed in the Family Assessment Laboratory at MU, the Missouri Delinquency Project has played a major role in the ongoing development, validation, and dissemination of Multisystemic Therapy (MST), a treatment model developed in collaboration with the Family Services Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina.

To date, MST is one of the few treatments for serious delinquent behavior that have demonstrated both short-term and long-term success in randomized, controlled clinical trials with violent and chronic juvenile offenders and their families from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Recent MST clinical trials have also demonstrated success with youths presenting psychiatric emergencies (seriously emotionally disturbed youths) and with juvenile offenders presenting substance use disorders.    

MST Outcome/Process Studies Conducted in the Missouri Delinquency Project

Borduin, C. M., Henggeler, S. W., Blaske, D. M., & Stein, R. (1990). Multisystemic treatment of adolescent sexual offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 34, 105-114.

Reprinted in C. S. Austad & N. M. Steefel (Eds.), Advances in therapies for adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Also reprinted in D. West (Ed.), D. Wilken, & G. Mars (Series Eds.), International library of criminology and criminal justice, Vol. X: Sex crimes. Hampshire, England: Dartmouth.

Henggeler, S. W., Rodick, J. D., Borduin, C. M., Hanson, C. L., Watson, S. M., & Urey, J. R. (1986). Multisystemic treatment of juvenile offenders: Effects on adolescent behavior and family interaction. Developmental Psychology, 22, 132-141.

Mann, B. J., Borduin, C. M., Henggeler, S. W., & Blaske, D. M. (1990). An investigation of systemic conceptualizations of parent-child coalitions and symptom change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 336-344.

        Also digested in Clinician's Research Digest, 1990, 8(11), 3.

Henggeler, S. W., Borduin, C. M., Melton, G. B., Mann, B. J., Smith, L. A., Hall, J. A., Cone, L., & Fucci, B. R. (1991). Effects of multisystemic therapy on drug use and abuse in serious juvenile offenders: A progress report from two outcome studies. Family Dynamics of Addiction Quarterly, 1, 40-51.

Borduin, C. M., Mann, B. J., Cone, L. T., Henggeler, S. W., Fucci, B. R., Blaske, D. M., & Williams, R. A. (1995). Multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders: Long-term prevention of criminality and violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 569-578.

Also digested in Youth Update, 1995, 13(3), 1-2.

Curtis, N. M., Ronan, R. R., & Borduin, C. M. (2004). Multisystemic treatment: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 411-419.

Schaeffer, C. M., & Borduin, C. M. (2005). Long-term follow-up to a randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with serious and violent juvenile offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 445-453.

Borduin, C. M., Schaeffer, C. M., & Heiblum, N. (in press). A randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with juvenile sexual offenders: Effects on youth social ecology and criminal activity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Henggeler, S. W., Letourneau, E. J., Chapman, J. E., Borduin, C. M., Schewe, P. A., & McCart, M. R. (in press). Mediators of change for multisystemic therapy with juvenile sexual offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Letourneau, E. J., Henggeler, S. W., Borduin, C. M., Schewe, P. A., McCart, M. R., Chapman, J. E., & Saldana, L. (in press). Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology .

Schaeffer, C. M., & Borduin, C. M. (2008). Moderators and mediators of therapeutic change in multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Studies Conducted in the Missouri Delinqency Project on the Correlates/Causes of Delinquency

Borduin, C. M., & Henggeler, S. W. (1987). Post-divorce mother-son relations of delinquent and well-adjusted adolescents. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 8, 273-288.

Blaske, D. M., Borduin, C. M., Henggeler, S. W., & Mann, B. J. (1989). Individual, family, and peer characteristics of adolescent sex offenders and assaultive offenders. Developmental Psychology, 25, 846-855.

Mann, B. J., Borduin, C. M., Henggeler, S. W., & Blaske, D. M. (1990). An investigation of systemic conceptualizations of parent-child coalitions and symptom change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 336-344.

 Also digested in Clinician's Research Digest, 1990, 8(11), 3.

Henggeler, S. W., Burr-Harris, A. W., Borduin, C. M., & McCallum, G. (1991). Use of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales in child clinical research. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 19, 53-63.

Williamson, J. M., Borduin, C. M., & Howe, B. A. (1991). The ecology of adolescent maltreatment: A multilevel examination of adolescent physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 449-457.

Also digested in Clinician's Research Digest, 1992, 10(9), 4.
Also reprinted in Revista de Psicologia Social Aplicada, 1993, 3, 23-49 (Spain).

Williams, R. A., & Borduin, C. M. (1997). Verbal conflict resolution in families of serious juvenile offenders. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 158, 498-501.  

Schaeffer, C. M., & Borduin, C. M. (1999). Mother-adolescent-sibling conflict in families of juvenile felons. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 160, 115-118.   

Ronis, S. T., & Borduin, C. M. (2007). Individual, family, peer, and academic characteristics of male juvenile sexual offenders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 153-163.    

Articles and Book Chapters Describing Multisystemic Therapy

Borduin, C. M., & Henggeler, S. W. (1990). A multisystemic approach to the treatment of serious delinquent behavior. In R. J. McMahon & R. DeV. Peters (Eds.), Behavior disorders of adolescence: Research. intervention, and policy in clinical and school settings (pp. 62-80). New York: Plenum.

Borduin, C. M. (1991). Clinical child psychology training in the juvenile justice system: Treatment demands, therapist development, and supervisory process. Clinical Supervisor, 9, 135-151.

Also reprinted in T. H. Peake & J. D. Ball (Eds.), (1991), Psychotherapy training: Contextual and developmental influences in settings, stages, and mind sets (pp. 135-152). New York: Haworth Press.

Borduin, C. M. (1994). Innovative models of treatment and service delivery in the juvenile justice system. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psvchology (special issue), 23, 19-25.

Henggeler, S. W., & Borduin, C. M. (1995). Multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders and their families. In I. M. Schwartz & P. AuClaire (Eds.), Home-based services for troubled children (pp. 113-130). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., & Henggeler, S. W. (1998). Multisystemic therapy: Changing the natural and service ecologies of adolescents and families. In M. H. Epstein, K. Kutash, & A. J. Duchnowski (Eds.), Outcomes for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families: Programs and evaluation best practices (pp. 485-511). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Borduin, C. M., Schaeffer, C. M., & Heiblum, N. (1999). Relational problems: The social context of child and adolescent disorders. In S. Netherton, C. E. Walker, & D. Holmes (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychological disorders: A comprehensive textbook (pp. 498-519). New York: Oxford University Press.

Borduin, C. M. (1999). Multisystemic treatment of criminality and violence in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 242-249.

Borduin, C. M., Heiblum, N., Jones, M. R., & Grabe, S. A. (2000). Community-based treatment for serious antisocial behavior in adolescents. In W. E. Martin & J. L. Swartz -Kulstad(Eds.), Person-environment psychology and mental health: Assessment and intervention (pp. 113-142). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Brown, T. L., Borduin, C. M., & Henggeler, S. W. (2001). Treating juvenile offenders with mental health disorders in community settings. In J. B. Ashford, B. D. Sales, & W. H. Reid (Eds.), Treating adult and juvenile offenders with special needs (pp. 445-464). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Borduin, C. M., & Schaeffer, C. M. (2002). Multisystemic treatment of juvenile sexual offenders: A progress report. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 13, 25-42.

Borduin, C. M., Schaeffer, C. M., & Ronis, S. T. (2003). Multisystemic treatment of serious antisocial behavior in adolescents. In C. A. Essau (Ed.), Conduct and oppositional defiant disorders: Epidemiology, risk factors, and treatment (pp. 299-319). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. J., Borduin, C. M., & Swenson, C. C. (2006). The Littell paper: Methodological critique and meta-analysis as Trojan horse. Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 447-457.

Borduin, C. M. (2007). Multisystemic treatment with violent youths and their families. In T. A. Cavell & K. T. Malcolm (Eds.), Anger, aggression, and interventions for interpersonal violence (pp. 239-265). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Borduin, C. M. (2007). Multisystemic treatment of criminality and violence in adolescents. In R. Roesch & K. McLachlan (Eds.), Clinical forensic psychology and law (pp. 401-433). Hampshire, UK: Ashgate.

Letourneau, E. J., Borduin, C. M., & Schaeffer, C. M. (in press). Multisystemic therapy for youth with problem sexual behaviors. In A. Beech, L. Craig, & K. Browne (Eds.), Assessment and treatment of sexual offenders: A handbook. New York: Wiley.

Letourneau, E. J., & Borduin, C. M. (2008). The effective treatment of juveniles who sexually offend: An ethical imperative. Ethics and Behavior, 18, 286-306.

Books Describing Multisystemic Therapy

Henggeler, S. W., & Borduin, C. M. (1990). Family therapy and beyond: A multisystemic approach to treating the behavior problems of children and adolescents. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (1998). Multisystemic treatment of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. New York: Guilford.

Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (2000). Multisystemisk behandling av barn og unge med atferdsproblemer (Norwegian translation). Oslo: Kommuneforlaget.

Borduin, C. M., Letourneau, E. J., & Henggeler, S. H. (in preparation). Multisystemic treatment with juvenile sexual offenders and their families. New York: Guilford.