Research Priority Areas

    Preventing violence at school, in the family and online
    School dropout
    Social emotional skills and career development
    Program development and evaluation in career counseling
    Supporting career development in vocational and technical education
    Academic deferment
    Career counseling

Sub Study Topics

    Bullying, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, cyberbullying/ violence/ abuse
    Preventing school dropout
    Social emotional skills and career development
    Program development and evaluation in career counseling
    Supporting career development in vocational and technical education
    Academic deferment
    Career counseling

Keywords

Violence, bullying, domestic violence, trauma, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical neglect, educational neglect, cyberbullying, online violence, school dropout, school engagement, social emotional learning, career development, program development and evaluation, career development in vocational and technical education, academic procrastination, career counseling, personality

Importance and Rationale

Violence in the family, school and online environment does not only affect the individual and his/her family, but is one of the important social problems that concern and affect the whole society. As a matter of fact, incidents of violence against women and children are frequently experienced in the society and they affect the whole society negatively. The “2.3.1 Education target”, “2.3.4. Strengthening the Family” target and “2.3.5. Women” target of the Eleventh Development Plan emphasize the creation of environments that take into account the mental and physical development of children and women who are disadvantaged in educational environments, family and society, and raising social awareness through formal and non-formal education activities and violence prevention activities. For example, in this context, it is aimed to develop programs and practices to prevent neglect, abuse and violence against children and to expand services and psycho-social support programs for children at risk and their families (Article 613); and to carry out awareness raising activities such as trainings, seminars, etc. for different target groups, including the personnel of all public institutions and organizations, to prevent violence against women and early and forced marriages (Article 602.1). In addition, it is aimed to organize programs to increase the capacity of professionals working with children to identify neglect, abuse and violence and to make necessary referrals (613.3), and to strengthen children's life skills by providing awareness training on neglect, abuse and violence to children starting from early childhood. For all these reasons, it is thought that one of the priority areas of the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling may be “Preventing violence in the family, school and online environment”. Considering the effects of the pandemic and youth unemployment rates, preventing school dropout, supporting career development to increase school engagement in this framework, and the effects of social emotional skills on academic success, school engagement and mental health point to the need to study these areas as priority areas to support positive youth development. Recent developments such as migration, Covid-19, etc. seem to have increased school dropout (leaving school early). Moreover, school dropout tends to be a universal problem.