The aim of the research was to make a socio-pedagogical description of the minors’ causal attributions for their own delinquent behavior, based on the attitudes expressed by juvenile delinquents. Moreover, the aim was to reveal whether there is a statistically significant correlation between internal and external factors of delinquent behavior.
A method of theoretical analysis and a descriptive-analytical method were employed, while a Delinquent Behavior Attribution Scale (Ricijaš, 2009) was used as an instrument. The current research sample consisted of 205 juvenile delinquents aged 14-18 coming from the Zenica-Doboj Canton and showing some forms of risky and delinquent behavior.
The results related to the internal causes of delinquent behavior showed that the young people mostly emphasize the following causes: antisocial tendencies, followed by unthoughtfulness, personal frustration, and susceptibility to peer pressure.
The results associated with external causes of delinquent behavior indicated that the young people emphasize poverty and material benefit as causes in most cases, followed by excessive control and supervision by parents, poor family relationships, situation in which the minor is, narcotics, antisocial peers, permissive parents and alcohol.
The results pertaining to the relationship between internal and external causes of delinquent behavior revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between internal and external causes of delinquent behavior.
It was concluded that socio-pedagogical preventive acting should include a range of factors exerting an influence on the personality development of young people, and that socio-pedagogical programs for providing support to juvenile delinquents should be created and realized with the aim to reduce and eliminate the causes of their delinquent behavior, and to contribute to their better resocialization.
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