Assessing the Aspirations and Fears of Costa Rican Youth in Long-term Correctional Confinement
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Ochoa, Theresa; Fernández, Yanúa; Rodríguez, Ana; López, Claire
- Source
- Journal of Prison Education and Reentry 6(2)
Kérwá
Universidad de Costa Rica
instacron:UCR
- Subject
- Spanish possible selves questionnaire
juvenile incarceration
expected and feared selves
youth in correctional facilities
- Language
- English
This study used the Possible Selves Questionnaire (PSQ) with 30 incarcerated youth in a long term juvenile correctional facility in Costa Rica. The PSQ is a self-administered survey that measures a person’s aspirations and fears for the future and strategies to achieve who they wish to become and avoid becoming. Results showed that while participants reported having Expected and Feared Selves, they struggled to identify concrete strategies to reach their goals. This vulnerable, incarcerated, population faces a variety of social challenges that may hinder their ability to avoid the behavior that led to their initial incarceration once they are released from correctional confinement. Limitations of using the PSQ with Costa Rican youth are also discussed. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Educación::Escuela de Orientación y Educación Especial