Working with juvenile offenders: An evaluation of trauma group intervention

Many juvenile offenders in prisons have been exposed to trauma before their imprisonment. Trauma exposure amongst South African juvenile offenders is often linked to their criminal behaviour, but despite the high rates of trauma exposure among juvenile offenders, current South African prisons lack effective trauma counselling services. This article describes the process of facilitating group therapy with 30 juvenile offenders at the Johannesburg prison. The participants in these groups were 15 male and 15 female juvenile offenders. The therapy groups included 20 sessions on trauma education (what is trauma and its symptoms, the relationship between trauma and crime, and coping skills). The themes that emerged in the groups included experiences of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as well as witnessing family violence, absent father figures, and being involved in gang violence in and out of prison. In conclusion, the article highlights the need to provide effective trauma counselling services in helping juvenile offenders to resolve their personal traumas before leaving prison. The problem of recidivism is linked to unresolved traumas due to lack of effective rehabilitation programmes in many South African prisons.