An Intervention Program for Male Juvenile Offenders in Turkey: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Abstract

Researchers have developed various intervention programs to prevent children from committing crimes and from recidivism; however, few intervention programs have been implemented in juvenile detention centers in Turkey. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a psychoeducation program to improve the social skills of juvenile offenders. The participants consisted of 38 male adolescents aged 13 to 18 years ( M = 17.02, SD = 1.14) randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 19) and comparison ( n = 19) groups. The results demonstrated that the interaction effects between the group and time were significant for communication and empathy skills. The intervention program prevented declines in empathy skills among program participants, while empathy skills decreased in the comparison group. The participants also improved their communication skills, while comparison group members’ communication skills declined over time. Considering the limited number of intervention programs discussed in the literature, this study provides preliminary support for the literature on intervention programs.