The purpose of this study was to examine young offenders’ attitudes towards crime, and to the penalty they have been sentenced to as juveniles. More specifically its aim was to examine an intervention program called Galaxen, specifically used  to deal with  juveniles  in Växjö. This intervention program consists mainly of conversations with social workers from social services,  aiming  towards  better  self-awareness  and  the  ability  to  understand  the  consequences  of one’s actions. In two focus groups, ten social workers involved in Galaxen were asked to discuss  these matters.  Three  individual  interviews with  young  offenders  previously  attending Galaxen were also conducted. The analysis was based on a social learning perspective, identifying  anti-  and  procriminal  attitudes.  It was  concluded  that  young  offenders’  attitudes  towards crime may be  the result of previous and present exposure  to anti- or procriminal attitudes,  and  that modeling  and  social  control  conducted  by  grown-ups,  especially  parents,  is quite  important when  it comes  to  young people’s behavioral development.  It was  also  concluded that one’s self-efficacy may be altered, by learning to think through new perspectives.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine young offenders’ attitudes towards crime, and to the penalty they have been sentenced to as juveniles. More specifically its aim was to examine an intervention program called Galaxen, specifically used  to deal with  juveniles  in Växjö. This intervention program consists mainly of conversations with social workers from social services,  aiming  towards  better  self-awareness  and  the  ability  to  understand  the  consequences  of one’s actions. In two focus groups, ten social workers involved in Galaxen were asked to discuss  these matters.  Three  individual  interviews with  young  offenders  previously  attending Galaxen were also conducted. The analysis was based on a social learning perspective, identifying  anti-  and  procriminal  attitudes.  It was  concluded  that  young  offenders’  attitudes  towards crime may be  the result of previous and present exposure  to anti- or procriminal attitudes,  and  that modeling  and  social  control  conducted  by  grown-ups,  especially  parents,  is quite  important when  it comes  to  young people’s behavioral development.  It was  also  concluded that one’s self-efficacy may be altered, by learning to think through new perspectives.</p>