The self-perception of selected female juvenile delinquents in Metro Manila in relation to their family, peers and community

• Main Authors: Cruz, Ysabella Jenell J., Pangilinan, Maria Patricia V., Serranilla, Maria Angela G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11929
• Institution: De La Salle University

Despite having many researchers about male juvenile delinquents worldwide, there has not been an equal amount, abundantly speaking, regarding studies that focused on their female counterparts. Even if there are some that would concentrate on female juvenile delinquents, they are mostly quantitative in nature, and were done to discover different aspects of these delinquents through standardized psychological tests. The purpose of this study was to discover the self-perception among female juvenile delinquents in Manila through their relationships with family, peers and community. A qualitative approach was used for the study. The researchers sent out request letters to the different government institutions and youth homes in Manila in order to gain access and approval on having female juvenile delinquents participate in the study. The research focused on 6 participants, who were purposively sampled through factors such as their age (15-17 Yts. Old), sex (female), and youth center location (Manila). The interviews were conducted in the youth centers; open-ended questions were used in order to capture more relevant and substantial data from the participants. The results were then categorized into themes: Self-Perceptions of the Juvenile Delinquent and Self-Perception in terms of others. These themes showed that the responses of female juvenile delinquents are positive in general. They perceive themselves as good people who have committed mistakes under circumstances that were mostly beyond their control. They saw that others, especially their communities, saw the good in them as well. Surprisingly, none of the respondents felt rejected by their loved ones. Their self-perception was not greatly affected by the acts that brought them inside these youth homes. The participants all have high expectations for themselves and are now working towards a positive goal in order to help make their lives better despite being put in unwanted circumstances.