Group Game-Based Physical Activity Effects on Positive and Negative Affect of Male Adolescent Prisoners

Abstract

This report arises from a larger study that aims to investigate the mental health of adolescent prisoners. The Indonesian juvenile justice system locks up more than half of young offenders (Pratiwi & Faridah, 2019). Questions have been rise about the mental well-being of the adolescent. This study, with a sample of 28 male prisoners age between 14 to 18 years old, explored the effects of physical activity using group-based games on mental heath of adolescent prisoners. These participants showed many behavioral and emotional problems before entering and during their time in prison, such as: family problem, drug abuse,problems with peers and officers. The participants had three sessions of game activities in one week. The pretest-posttest design was used to collect the data. This experimental study measured with positive affect and negative affect scale (PANAS) by Watson, Clark, and Carey (1988). Results show that group games-based physical activity can increase positive affect M= 4.750 (Sig = 0.001) from pretest to posttest, and decrease negative affect M= 2.968 (Sig = 0.003) from pretest to posttest. This study aims to show that that group games-based physical activity can make their lives inside the prison would be meaningful.