As any adolescent, also adolescents in home groups need the support of adults to reach the empowerment and transition to an independent life. Youth housing accommodation helps an adolescent enter adulthood more successfully. The theoretical part of the thesis defines adolescence and transition to adulthood, behaviour modification institutions, home groups, characteristics of home groups’ population (children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural difficulties) and the youth housing project in theory and practice.
The empirical part involves a qualitative research of youth housing practice in Slovenia. The significance of youth housing is presented through the personal experience of a tutor and two adolescent girls who underwent this kind of postinstitutional treatment. Data is acquired through partly structured interviews with the research participants. According to research findings, the youth housing project offered the two adolescent girls an opportunity for learning how to be independent and responsible. The tutor played an important role mainly in offering valuable support, resolving problems and communicating with external institutions.
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