The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions and social emergency support and correctional centers in preventing crime among delinquent and traumatized children in the new criminal procedure system

Abstract

Children and adolescents are considered the most important capital and human resources of any society. Childhood is of particular importance as a period of formation of human personality, especially in Iranian society, which has a young population. Social workers seek to assist the criminal justice system by utilizing the teachings of psychology, sociology, etc., as well as observing various professional principles such as the principle of acceptance and the principle of individuality, and providing diverse services. By using the methods they have in understanding individuals, they can effectively help provide responses appropriate to the child's individual, family, and social circumstances, and also by supervising the execution of sentences, accompany the child until the stage of completion of rehabilitation and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, in Iran, due to the lack of a criminal justice system specific to children on the one hand and the lack of systematic support services within the framework of the criminal justice system on the other, social workers currently do not provide coherent services within the framework of the criminal justice system to child victims and offenders. However, the existence of a legal vacuum in this area has provided the basis for the development of the “Children and Adolescents Protection Bill” and the Bill on the Investigation of Crimes against Children and Adolescents. In the aforementioned bills, the presence of social workers and their interaction with judicial authorities at different stages of the criminal process, such as the police stage, the prosecution stage, and the issuance and execution of sentences, has been recognized in several articles. Therefore, despite the great international emphasis on the protection of children and the use of differentiated proceedings for them at different stages of the criminal process, we have not yet witnessed the formation of such a system in Iranian law that complies with international standards. Therefore, this article examines the impact of psychosocial interventions of the Social Emergency and the Correction and Education Center on crime prevention and protection of delinquent and injured children in the Iranian criminal justice system in accordance with the new Criminal Procedure Code. The findings indicate that if the educational and cultural programs and measures of the correctional center operate with a growth-oriented and education-oriented approach to reform, rehabilitate, educate, and rebuild the damaged personality of the offender.