In my bachelor's thesis, I explored the lived experiences of young people who had experienced peer violence. I focused on how they perceived the role of their family in the process of coping with peer violence and on what they needed in terms of support, response, recovery, and family involvement in the process of psychosocial support and assistance.
In the theoretical part, I first defined the phenomenon of peer violence and, alongside outlining its various forms and roles, established a clear distinction between conflict and violence. I then continued with immediate and ongoing intervention, which are integral parts of the Protocol that institutions must follow when peer violence is identified. Afterwards, I focused on the family, describing psychodynamic processes, the importance of family communication, and the systemic-ecological perspective on the individual. I presented the adolescent period and described the specific characteristics of family life during this stage. I concluded the theoretical introduction with a description of social work practice in the field of peer violence that is oriented toward adolescents and their families.
In the empirical part, I presented the findings of a qualitative study based on interviews with a sample of eight young people: five female and three male participants. The questions concerned experiences of peer violence, family dynamics, family relationships during the coping process, actions taken, family involvement in the support process, experiences of support from external institutions, and the role of the family in the recovery process. In doing so, I came to understand how important a safe family environment and a supportive social network are for young people who have experienced peer violence. Although the family can be a central protective factor, it can also be emotionally absent, which further increases the distress of young people.
I found that the interviewees’ accounts were dominated by experiences in which social workers adopted a bureaucratic stance. At the same time, the findings of the study also point to inadequate, incomplete, and passive institutional responses, as well as to the need for long-term and comprehensive psychosocial support that includes both the young person and the family in the process of coping with peer violence. It is therefore crucial for social work practice to focus on comprehensive support for adolescents and their families in the context of peer violence, both within the education system and the social welfare system, with an emphasis on the wider social network. The results of the present study contribute to the professional understanding of this field and offer useful insights for professionals working with adolescents and families.
|
