Philippine E-Journals

“On Finding Hope and on Fighting Fate”: The Case Study of Two Delinquent Boys in High School

Erick T. Baloran

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Juvenile delinquency committed by school adolescents is a public issue that has been a foremost concern of the government, educators, parents, and counselors globally. This qualitative study aimed to explore the cases of school-aged adolescents in conflict with the law. It specifically sought to understand their experiences and determine the factors why these students broke the law. A qualitative case method was employed on two school-aged adolescents in high school who were chosen to undergo an in-depth interview. The interview was transcribed, translated, and coded to produce themes. The typical case committed by the participants of the study was murder. Some factors influence school-aged adolescents to commit crimes, including peer pressure/influence, family-related problems leading to negative peer engagement, and alcoholism. Further, the challenges they faced were horrendous punishment and emotional distress. Regarding their hopes and desires, these young offenders hope for personal transformation, reintegration into society, and to pursue education. Implications emphasize that schools may create long-term intervention programs for students at risk of committing juvenile crimes by conducting values reformation activities and implementing effective forms of spiritual development that should be sustained at school and home, which will involve parents and the community in general.