Metasubject Competencies in the Prevention of Delinquent Behavior in Adolescents

An attempt to establish the relationship between the formation of meta-subject competencies in delinquent adolescents in the framework of educational and extracurricular activities in an educational institution and the transition of forms of its behavioral manifestations from social disapproval to behavior regulated by legal norms was made. The authors outline that in order to structure knowledge about metasubject competencies, they are classified into meta-activities, meta-ways and meta-abilities that directly affect the rehabilitation of delinquent adolescents by means of educational and extracurricular activities organized in an educational institution. Methods of research: comparative and theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, monographs and thesis works, documentation; generalization, comparison, systematization. Research result. The authors come to the conclusion that delinquent adolescent, due to the features of their socially disapproved forms of life, have well-defined formed competencies, but apply them in asocial behavioral manifestations. The article pays attention to the importance of improving the effectiveness of activity of educational institutions on the formation of delinquent adolescents’ metasubject competencies as a means of overcoming adolescent deviation. However, attention is drawn to the possible risks in this area of activity due to the delinquent adolescents’ frequent absence from school, so the authors also paid attention to the need to form academic motivation in delinquent adolescents to achieve the goals of forming metasubject competencies and overcoming delinquency.

Konopka, Gisela

Gisela Konopka (1910–2003) was a social justice advocate and humanitarian who became nationally and internationally famous as an expert in group work—particularly work targeted to troubled youth—and in research on delinquent adolescent girls.

Does Pastoral Counseling Work? A Pilot Study of Delinquent Boys

This is a study of the relationship between pastoral counseling interventions and recidivism in a small sample of 16 delinquent adolescent males in residential treatment programs where such interventions were routinely available. One or more of three pastoral counseling protocols were utilized with the youths who were assessed as demonstrating one or more of the spiritual needs addressed by the protocols and who were open to the intervention. Analysis showed a significant Spearman correlation (r = .588; p = .008) between pastoral counseling and low recidivism (measured as re-arrests since discharge at the time of the follow-up contact) suggesting that the pastoral counseling may be a contributing factor to successful treatment.