| Summary: | This study was conducted to examine the use of multisystemic treatment for treating juveniles with serious delinquency, as a new approach within the Saudi Arabian context.Multisystemic treatment addresses behaviour problems as multidetermined by interacting individual, family, school, peers, and community systems. This study attempted to determine the impact of the multisystemic therapy on the behaviour of young offenders with serious delinquency and in increasing their level of self-esteem and religious behaviour.The fieldwork was conducted in 2000-0 I in the Social Observation Home in Riyadh City. The project consisted of three parts: therapists training for one month, a treatment programme for three months and follow up, conducted in two periods of two months each, with a seven months interval. An experimental and control group, prepost test design was adopted. Twenty juveniles with serious delinquency (age 14-18) were assigned to each group. The experimental group received multisystemic treatment, and the control group received the Home's usual service (individual therapy).Outcomes were measured by, self-reports (Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Level of Religious Measurement), official misconducts, family relations, peer relations, school attendance & grades and observed religious practice. Qualitative information was obtained from six case studies (three experimental, three control) and from interviews with young offenders, their relatives and the Home staff.The results indicated greater gain and long-term positive impact on the behaviour of young offenders in the experimental than in the control group, on all measures. The improvement in self-esteem and religious practice in association with multisystemic treatment are especially noteworthy, as these factors have been subject to little or no previous investigation, and are particularly important in relation to delinquency in the Saudi context.It is concluded, that provided appropriate resources are allocated to the application, multisystemic treatment can be adapted to meet the unique cultural concerns of the Saudi context.
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