Authors: Abdul Karim Atiq & Ruba Qblawi
The study aimed to investigate the socio-psychological difficulties that hinder the adaptation of juvenile delinquents in social care homes in the West Bank and the mechanisms to overcoming them. The study approached the literature as a multi-dimensional phenomenon, which addressed both theoretical and applied research. The significance of this recent study is the first, which dealt with this theme, to the authors knowledge, which in turn encourages other researchers to work on further research on this important issue.
To achieve this end, the study adopted the descriptive qualitative research approach using the survey method. The in-depth interview is appropriate for the exploratory nature of the research. A 10-item in-depth interview was formulated which was divided into four sub-scales as follows: the general information of the participants; the second section dealt with the social difficulties; the third section included the psychological difficulties; while the fourth had the mechanisms to overcome these socio-psychological difficulties.
The survey method was utilized which comprised of all the social workers (10) in the social care homes in the West Bank Governorates. The collected data was statistically analyzed manually by calculating the descriptive statistics, that are, the frequencies, and means.
The findings indicated that (75%) of social workers and psychologists in social care homes in the West Bank confirmed the existence of difficulties impeding the adaptation of juvenile delinquents. The findings revealed that most juveniles are facing socio-psychological difficulties that impede their adaptation in social care homes, which are attributed to personal, familial, and environmental factors, as well as challenges related to follow-up after the juvenile leaves social care homes. Psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, stress, self-blame, and sleep disorders, were also highlighted. The findings revealed that juveniles suffer from psychological issues that are, anxiety, stress, and anger outbursts.
Furthermore, the findings showed that social care homes lack of appropriate services and suitable spaces for conducting individual and group sessions, which affects juveniles’ adaptation and their feelings of comfort and reassurance. Additionally, (70%) of the social workers confirmed that females adapt more easily than males; and the economical, the cultural status of the family, and the type of legal offense committed by the juvenile were significant variables to increase the adaptation difficulties.
These findings confirm the value of protection services, and the mechanisms provided by the social workers in the social care homes in the West Bank to overcome these socio-psychological difficulties that hinder the adaptation of juvenile delinquents. The study recommends enhancing the social and psychological aspects, developing social communication services, and involving the local community in providing the necessities of social care homes to overcome the social and psychological difficulties in the social care homes, and further research is essential in the area of the socio-psychological difficulties in the social care homes in the Palestinian society using the quantitative research design.
Keywords: Socio-psychological difficulties, social care homes, juvenile delinquents, social workers, Palestine.
Atiq, Abdul Karim. Assistant Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine. Email:
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Ruba Qblawi, MA. Social Worker, Faculty of Social Sciences, Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine. Independent Researcher, Ramallah, Palestine. Email:
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