Juvenile delinquency in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina – Involving the user's perspective in social work research

The level of development and availability of various social services in the community in general appears to be a significant factor in the juvenile delinquency. The aim of this study was to analyse influence of social work... [ view full abstract ]

The level of development and availability of various social services in the community in general appears to be a significant factor in the juvenile delinquency. The aim of this study was to analyse influence of social work practice and service delivery for the development of juvenile delinquency in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample of this study included 38 juveniles, 31 parents / guardians of juveniles and 44 representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations working in the field of juvenile delinquency in Tuzla Canton. A qualitative research method was used in this research. Data obtained have been processed in a computer program ATLAS.ti, version 6.2.18. Findings of this study indicate that the availability of social services to juveniles is difficult due to the location of social services, the lack staff capabilities and overload with other numerous cases as well as with various administrative activities and due to scarce of material resources. These characteristics of social services affect the promptness of responding to juvenile delinquency. Interventions that are most frequently implemented are counselling and educational work with juveniles and families. Juveniles and parents have both positive and negative experiences in relation to social worker‘s interventions. Most juveniles describe interventions as being called by social workers for a talk, and several spoke of social worker‘s visit to their home. A handful of juveniles talked about the usefulness of talking to social workers. Also, our results suggest that insufficient prevention activities, inflexibility of social services, absence of programs for intervention, inadequate allocation of resources, no application of legally permitted alternative measures of intervention are circumstances that contribute to insufficient integration and re-socialization of juveniles. In conclusion, our findings suggest that underdevelopment of financial and human resources in social services and inadequate network is context that indirectly affected the development of juvenile delinquency.