The aim of our project was to improve the competence of abused juvenile male offenders in dealing with social interactions, and social skills training in the institutional settings.

Common elements of the social skills training were combined to use such techniques as modelling, instructions, role play, rehearsal, feedback, social reinforcement, and homework to teach a set of social competencies that:

allow individual initiate and maintain positive social relationships;

contribute to peer acceptance and to a satisfactory adjustment;

allow a individual to cope effectively with the large social environment.

Research results had indicated specific improvements in many individual social skills of training group members:

interpersonal problem solving;

 increasing of prosocial behavior and positive emotions;

decrease of aggressive behavior and negative emotions;

decrease of cognitive distortions;

increasing of realistic self-conception.

 Kristi Kõiv

PhD Candidate, MA

Department of General Education Faculty of Education

Ülikooli 18    50090 Tartu Estonia

e-mail: kkxxx@starline.ee