Assessing Moral Judgment Maturity Using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form Objective

The Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form Objective (SRM-SFO) aims to assess the reasoning and valuing components of moral judgment. A new index for measuring moral reasoning is introduced. The first study assessed construct validity by examining the structure and invariance of moral reasoning and moral value evaluation in community adolescents and adults from The Netherlands ( N = 1,583). Factor analyses supported the unidimensionality of both components. Measurement invariance was found across age groups, gender, and educational levels. Convergent validity was supported by positive relationships between moral reasoning and age in males and between moral reasoning and higher educational levels. Divergent validity was supported by the weak relationship of both components with social desirability and their negative relationship with self-centered orientation and self-reported antisocial/delinquent behavior. The second study included incarcerated juvenile delinquents ( N = 246). Measurement invariance was found for both components across delinquency groups. Furthermore, community participants reporting no antisocial/delinquent behavior showed higher levels on both components than community participants reporting antisocial/delinquent behavior and juvenile delinquents. The SRM-SFO provides acceptable to good psychometric properties for assessing the reasoning and valuing components of moral judgment. Its practical benefits support its use in large-scale research from young adolescence onward.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PRINCIPLES OF ASSIGNING CRIMINAL PENALTIES TO MINOR OFFENDERS

The article discusses the general principles and the principles applied when imposing punishments to minors who have committed crimes. Juvenile delinquents are the social base of organized crime. Juvenile delinquency harms the personal development of the minor offender himself, thereby contributing to continuing the minor's criminal activity. The research results confirm that a significant number of serious offenders began their criminal activities being minors. Correction of juvenile offenders is very important, that is, formation of stable skills of an honest attitude to work. Precise execution of laws and respect for them. Crimes committed by minors, despite the degree of their study, the share of crimes committed by minors in the total number of crimes is on average 10–12% and these are only registered official data, which means that real statistics can be 1.5–2 times higher. The above-stated points to the problem of illegal behavior of minors and the need to find effective ways to impose penalties to juvenile offenders.

About features of labor activity of the personnel in correctional shelters for female minors in Tsarist Russia

The article indicates that since the second half of the XIX century in Russia there are special educational and correctional institutions for juvenile delinquents, vagabonds, begging children and juvenile delinquents. The law «On Correctional shelters and Colonies for Minors» (1866) did not disclose staffing issues about the number of staff, their educational training. The purpose of the functioning of the shelters was defined by law as the moral correction of minors. The formation of the profession of educator for educational and correctional institutions in Russia has historically been difficult: from understanding its necessity, rejecting training institutions, to recognizing it as an independent work activity. In the pre-revolutionary period in Russia, the requirements for this profession were formed: a candidate for the position of a teacher must have a pedagogical education (special training was also planned), have positive moral qualities, and have a penchant for this profession (love working with children). Many years of experience in the work of educational and correctional institutions facilitated to the differentiation of personnel by positions and the consolidation of functional duties. If initially educators performed the functions of supervision, training and education, then gradually the latter became the main one in their activities. In terms of discussions, the question was raised about the specifics of the work of a teacher in educational and correctional shelters for girls on the example of the work of teachers in the only specialized for girls Bolshevsky (Yakovlevsky) educational and correctional shelter.

Correction and resocialization of juvenile delinquents: current trends

Current trends in crime increasing indicate its prevalence among all categories of criminals. Particular attention needs to be paid to the issue of correction and re-socialization of persons serving sentences, especially for juvenile delinquents. This aspect determines the leading goal of the penal system of Ukraine. The attention of the state and its structures today is focused on correcting the juvenile delinquents’ behavior, their resocialization and crime prevention. After all, the working process with juvenile delinquents during this period determines their future life in society and the chances of returning to prison in the future. Therefore, it is important to unite the efforts of all professionals involved in the complex process of re-education of a juvenile offender, and to direct all methods, forms and tools based on individual programs of social and educational work. The issue of correction and re-socialization of convicted juveniles is currently of concern to both domestic and foreign scholars, whose position is determined by the offender’s age. We believe that current research on aspects of the re-education of juveniles who have committed crimes and are in prisons is an important and necessary task to identify new methods and ways to achieve the common goal pursued by the state for its future. The article describes the process of correction and resocialization of convicted juveniles. The components of the working process with juveniles serving sentences in correctional institutions of the penal system in Ukraine are analyzed. The content of the process stages of resocialization of juvenile convicts is revealed. The means of social and educational work used by specialists with juvenile delinquents during each of the periods of resocialization have been clarified. The article considers the purpose of probation programs for juveniles, which is the educational impact on the offender’s identity. Key words: crime, juveniles, correction process, resocialization, educational influence, social and pedagogical work, means of influence, individual approach, probation programs.

PEDAGOGICAL SUPPORT OF COMPULSORY MEASURES OF EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE ON JUVENILE DELINQUENTS

The article presents the results of an empirical study. The aim of the study is to increase the effectiveness of compulsory measures for juvenile delinquents through the development and implementation of the pedagogical support system of these measures.The urgency of the research is determined by the lack of the scientific and methodological support for the practical implementation of compulsory measures of educational influence on juvenile delinquents; by the low level of the psychological and pedagogical readiness of the subjects of the pedagogical interaction; insufficiency of the pedagogical support as the most important condition of these measures effectiveness. Research methods are pedagogical analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparison and generalization of research results, questionnaires, interviews, individual and group conversations, observation, generalization of independent characteristics, statistical methods of information processing.According to the research aim the system of the pedagogical support of compulsory measures of educational influence on juvenile offenders was developed and tested. It includes organizational and substantial, technological and staff resource components and their interaction, the main directions and ways for increasing of the pedagogical training level of the subjects of the pedagogical interaction. The results of the investigation proved the effectiveness of the pedagogical support system of compulsory measures for juvenile delinquents.