Developing social and emotional competencies in incarcerated young people in seven countries in Europe through the use of active games and sport

Abstract

ABSTRACT Social and emotional competencies (self-regulation, coping with challenges, positive relationships) are related to positive life outcomes. Justice involved children and young people have not always had the opportunities to develop these competencies due to a range of disadvantages. This research explores the extent to which identified competencies can be developed through specially designed active games. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to assess the bespoke games’ effectiveness and tested in seven European countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, UK). A total of 326 young people participated across 17 settings with 105 educators trained in the methodology. The findings suggest that participation in the active games had demonstrable impact, both overall, and for the specific identified competencies. Participation in such programmes can support the holistic development of social and emotional competencies which can facilitate readiness and openness to learning for other interventions. This key finding contributes to dis/engagement theory, recommending that such programmes should form the basis of a suite of interventions designed to support the educational (re)engagement and development of justice involved children and young people. These findings have currency for developing policy which promote positive outcomes on release back into the community, across a range of national contexts.