A fiatalkorú bűnelkövetők művészetterápiás lehetőségeinek pozitív hatásai a nemzetközi szakirodalom tükrében, különös tekintettel a vizuális művészetekre

Juvenile offenders are exposed to few external stimuli during their detention, making art therapy particularly important in their monotonous, stimulus-poor lives. In this special environment, the promotion of creative activities is particularly important, as the highly structured system of juvenile correctional institutions, which operates within strict limits, inherently limits choice and restricts freedom. In this particular environment, young people experience a range of feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, fear and demotivation. Supporting creative, visual activities can open up a new world for them, figuratively opening up the world through imagination. Following this background, the paper will examine in detail the positive effects of art therapy for young people, including international examples. Such initiatives go beyond a useful use of leisure time, as art therapy programmes for juvenile offenders 1 A tanulmány a Bolyai János Kutatási Ösztöndíj (azonosítószám: BO/00099/24/2) támogatásával készült. Vol. 36. (2025) No. 2. | DOI 10.48007/esely.2025.2.3 esé l y www.esely.org A fiatalkorú bűnelkövetők művészetterápiás lehetőségeinek pozitív hatásai… | 55 T A N U L M Á N Y can serve as a gateway to further learning, and the arts can stimulate a state of readiness to learn by increasing self-esteem and developing basic communication and other essential skills. This is particularly true for young people who may have been less successful in the formal education system, because they are exposed to non-traditional content and teaching methods, and the impact of these programmes is to offer offenders an opportunity to promote reintegration into society, which is in the common interest of all.