COMMUNICATION WITH ADOLESCENTS UNDER INSTITUTIONAL CARE

Abstract

Adolescence can be defined as the period of the most stormy and conflicting experiences of human life. In this period, the individual is in a significant change and development in terms of physiological, social, cognitive, spiritual, moral, emotional, sexual, behavioral and relational aspects. While multidimensional changes provide advantages for adolescents, they also bring some disadvantages. Adolescents' bodily changes increase, conflicts related to positive or negative perceptions about body image and the potential to take risks increase, their level of engaging in conflicting interactions, experiencing intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts, being more questioning, and being more fragile. It is also possible for adolescents under institutional care to experience conflicting interactions with role model care personnel or institutional structure. In this process, they may exhibit positive and negative social and problematic behaviors. Adolescents in institutional care may show maladaptive behaviors such as peer bullying, depression, substance use, dropout or truancy from school, not obeying the rules, and not fulfilling their individual responsibilities. In this process, communication with adolescents is important. The use of effective communication skills by institutional staff working with adolescents helps them cope with these conflicting interactions. In this study, effective communication skills for staff working with adolescents under institutional care were mentioned.