The purpose of the study is to provide an insight into the links between the characteristic features of the late-modern age and child-rearing. To this end, without aiming to give a detailed analysis, the present paper attempts to explore and identify the above referred characteristics to meet the challenges invited by the given issue and determine the true nature of child-rearing. Furthermore, the study endeavors to introduce the subject matter of the identity and the self as well as the process of their creation and development while finally it offers an introduction to possible ways to respond to the challenges described above.

Citizens’ political participation is a key issue of a democratic political system. The starting point of the paper is political participation of young people in democratic institutions is not merely a question of young people’s interest in politics, but also the result of institutional opportunities and mobilization channels that are available for them. The present article aims to interpret the political participation of Hungarian youth is interpreted more broadly than in former studies. On the one hand it shows how a change of attitudes occurred among Hungarian youth concerning the perception of political participation perception. On the other hand it describes the institutional and social context where participation of Hungarian young people is taking place today.

My study focuses on tertiary education chances and opportunities of disadvantaged and multiply disadvantaged children and youngsters. The target group of the research consisted of disadvantaged full-time secondary grammar school students who aim to get out of their position and status with the help of further education. Via the interviews I tried to examine the difficult topic of further education from the perspective of the disadvantaged and the multiply disadvantaged students, also aspiring to reveal their notions and fears about the topic. The main goal of my research was to get an insight into the perspective and mentality of disadvantaged and multiply disadvantaged students.

Bullying is a widespread phenomenon in school communities. Although there are significant differences in prevalence between schools, regions and countries. Bullying is a complex problem that is related to several individual, family, school level and social factors. The data was collected in the last survey (in 2013/2014) of the Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Study (HBSC) that is a WHO coordinated nationally representative study. 4 types of bullying involvement was determined: bully, victim, bully-victim and not involved. The ratio of these types was analysed related to the variables of family affluence, school type and type of school administration (state, religious or other) There are no significant differences in the ratio of bullying involvement according to the school type, but there are significant differences according to type of school administration or cathegories of family affluence. Although social-cultural differences doesn’t seem to be key factors of bullying they might have stong contribution to its understanding and designing effective prevention programs.

The paper studies how negative life events affect risk behaviour of children and young people. Calculations on the database of the ‘Hungarian youth 2012’ research suggest that negative life events are strong predictors of different types of risk behaviour like alcohol, drug abuse and suicide. According to the data people who have experienced several and more serious negative life events, more likely refuse and turn away from the norms of the adult society than those whose life proves to be less stressful. To place these results into child protection context, the study calls attention to the fact that the Hungarian child protection system does not treat each group in the fragmented society equally, although, on the basis of the incidence of threat it should. Another important message of this paper is to highlight that in addition to scientific values large-scale sociological research studies have professional and practical values as well. To support it, from the questions of the well-known Holmes-Rahe scale the authors re-developed an exploration scale (Reduced Life Events Scale). The application of the Reduced Life Event Scale (or the original Holmes-Rahe scale) allows experts to focus more on the studied issues in the process of planning services, prevention and case work. The tool might propose solutions to use the insufficient resources in a more targeted way.

We present a health education and skill development program for two groups (N=30) of 7-14 years old children in this paper. The target group of our program were children in the family care system. In their case, primer prevention regarding a healthy lifestyle is an important goal. Their families often have difficult life circumstances thus the “social culture” of their (Wessely 2003) may endanger their healthy personality development. The program aimed the development of their physical, psychic and mental health, focusing on the holistic understanding of the concept of health according to the bio-psychosocial health paradigm. As a result of the program, we experienced positive outcomes among the children like higher level cooperation skills, more cognitive knowledge about health, development of their communication, improved self expression and expression of emotions. In the group of adolescent children we experienced the improvement of tolerance, empathy, adaptation and problem solving skills. We consider their wish for further education, the forming of their future plans and life goals as a great result.

This paper reviews the data of the official statistical bureau on child maltreatment within the confines of a time series analysis. The results point to the fact that child mishandling happens mostly within families. However, this analysis of these statistical data can only call for further research.

It is essential that the child’s individual needs determine the required services and how these can give adequate responses to children’s problems. In Hungary, the child protection system is driven by less established professional principles, service planning and provision are of an ad hoc nature, child protection services lack any conscious design. The present study is based upon main qualitative results obtained from the research subject of “Is the State a Good Parent?”. Our goal is to reveal how the child’s needs are met in the system of the Hungarian child protection services (institutional and foster care), in what way the system can serve best the interests of the child, what systemic flaws can be identified according to child protection experts opinion.

When researching the reasons for criminal behaviour, literature almost unequivocally emphasises the responsibility and role of the family, where as the number of studies analysing the functioning of families of inmates in closed institutions (reform schools, special children’s homes) is relatively low. The present pilot research (with the purpose of preparing a wider one) tries to fill this gap. Using semi-structured interviews, we attempted to explore the inmates’ family background, what methods were used during their upbringing, what they thought about the family and its role and importance in one’s life. Harassment had occurred in juvenile delinquents’ families in various forms: it had physical and emotional manifestations, and therefore its impact on the affected person’s personality is extremely complex. These young people did not/do not have a safe background, and thus they were more easily influenced to choose the wrong way; they did not have a real childhood, never had the experience of common games or hiking, and never felt an atmosphere of trust, love and security. It was apparent that in these young people’s families very little attention was paid to each family member’s personal sensitivity or opinion, and emotional ties were either missing or were strongly distorted. In such a family environment, the young people were unable to solve the crises of adolescence which are parts of normal development, the family did not ensure support in coping with the tension, and they were left alone with solving their problems. Consequently, it is not surprising that they had great difficulties in telling what the family meant to them and what ideas they had about their future family.

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