RECIDIVISM AFTER A TREATMENT IN A DISCIPLINARY CENTRE FOR JUVENILES

Ranko KOVACEVIC¹
Samir SULJAGIC²
Dzenita LJUCA²
Edin MUFIC^1
1Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Tuzla
²KJU Disciplinski centar za maloljetnike, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine recidivists’ and non-recidivists’ differences in characteristics of the psychosocial functioning after a treatment in a Disciplinary Centre for Juveniles in Sarajevo Canton, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was conducted on a sample of 131 juvenile delinquents adjudicated with the educational measure of referral to the juvenile disciplinary centre. The statistical analysis was performed in the SPSS 17.0 program package. The differences between recidivists and non-recidivists were measured using Mann-Whitney test on all variables. A group of four variables were compared by: (a) school factors, (b) family factors, (c) spare time activities and peer relationships and (d) personality and behaviour of juveniles. The results have shown that risk factors are more pronounced in recidivists in all four areas of the psychosocial functioning. The largest difference is in the areas related to spare time activities and peer-relationships, as well as family functioning. The results indicate that the intensified treatment should focus on these areas in order to prevent recidivism. 

Keywords: recidivism, educational measure, responsiveness factors

Corresponding address:
Ranko KOVACEVIC
Univerzitetska 1, 75 000 Tuzla,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Phone: + 387 35 320 678; + 387 61 855 024
E-mail: ranko.kovacevic@untz.ba