RECIDIVISM AFTER A TREATMENT IN A DISCIPLINARY CENTRE FOR JUVENILES

Ranko KOVACEVIC1
Samir SULJAGIC2
Dzenita LJUCA2
Edin MUFIC1

1Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Tuzla
2KJU Disciplinski centar za maloljetnike,
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Received: 30.05.2014
Accepted: 03.08.2014
Original article

Citation: Kovacevic R, Suljagic S, Ljuca D, Mufic E. Recidivism After a Treatment in a Disciplinary Centre for Juveniles. J Spec Educ Rehab 2014; 15(3-4):43-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/JSER-2014-0010

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

Link to Full Text Article