A Friend in Prison: Human-Animal Bond, Stress and Self-Esteem of Detained Juveniles in Dutch Cell Dogs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Interventions that aim to increase well-being among detained juveniles, in addition to interventions focusing on behavioral change, are urgently needed and should be increasingly implemented. A promising and popular intervention is the prison-based dog training program. In such a program, detainees train shelter dogs to prepare them for adoption. In literature about these interventions, it is often assumed that the perceived bond with the dog plays an important role in improving well-being among detainees. For example, it is assumed to decrease stress and increase self-esteem. However, the human–animal bond within a prison-based dog training program and its effects are seldom investigated. In this study, we investigated to what extent the human–animal bond predicts stress and self-esteem among detained juveniles, participating in a prison-based dog training program in the Netherlands (Dutch Cell Dogs). Questionnaires and interviews at several timepoints were used to measure the quality of the human–animal bond, and the perceived reciprocity, stress, and self-esteem. The results of this study show that the human–animal bond did not predict lower stress or higher self-esteem, contrary to our expectations. More research on prison-based dog training programs is needed to investigate how these programs work, and the specific role of the human–animal bond within these programs. ABSTRACT: This study examined to what extent the human–animal bond (HAB) had a positive impact on stress and self-esteem among detained juveniles participating in the prison-based dog training program Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD). Participants were 75 detained juveniles (mean age = 19.5, 86.7% male). Self-reported stress and self-esteem were assessed before the start of DCD (T1), after four weeks (halfway training/T2) and after eight weeks (end training/T3). Structured interviews and questionnaire items were used to measure the HAB quality and perceived reciprocity in the HAB at T2 and T3. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. In the variable-centered approach analyses, only the cross-sectional positive association between HAB quality and self-esteem at T2 was significant in the cross-lagged panel models. None of the cross-lagged paths between the HAB and stress or self-esteem were significant. In the person-centered approach analyses, growth mixture modeling identified two patterns of self-esteem (“high stable” and “high decreasing”); however, these patterns were not predicted by HAB. Thus, in contrast to our hypotheses, the HAB did not predict improvements in detained juveniles’ stress and self-esteem. These findings underline the need for more research into the often-presumed role of HAB within prison-based dog training programs.