WHEN TIME IS CRITICAL: EMERGENCY SOCIAL WORKER INTERVENTIONS IN CASES OF ADOLESCENT DEVIANCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29302/Pangeea25.44Keywords:
deviant behavior, adolescent, social work, crisis intervention, emergency reception unitAbstract
Adolescents face major psychological and social transformations. The lack of a healthy lifestyle, unresolved conflicts, or factors in different environments may be reasons why people behave in ways that do not conform to social norms. A social problem is ignoring these inappropriate actions as they affect mental health, family relationships and the community. UPU social workers identify, assess and interview young people who exhibit social risk behaviors, substance use, violence or self-harm. A variety of types of deviant behavior that are encountered are the subject of research, as well as the determinants (family, educational and socio-economic) and challenges that arise during intervention. All these are addressed through case studies and empirical observations. The study focuses on the modes of communication that social workers use, with an emphasis on crisis counseling, cooperation with the medical team and community child protection institutions, and the challenges they face when working with this vulnerable group. Thus, the role and intervention of the UPU social worker in addressing deviant behavior in adolescents are examined. This is achieved by combining medical and psychosocial perspectives in a multidisciplinary manner. The results show that the UPU social worker refers adolescents to specialized support services and significantly reduces the rate of recidivism of deviant behaviour. Social work in emergency hospitals should be improved through continuous staff training, interdisciplinary protocols, empathy, early intervention and prevention.
References
1. Bourke, E. M., Say, D. F., Carison, A., O’Donnell, S. M., Babl, F. E., & Network, the P. R. in E. D. I. C. (PREDICT) research. (2024). Emergency department mental health presentations in young children: A retrospective chart review. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 60(9), 415-421. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.16600
2. Cadorna, G., Vera San Juan, N., Staples, H., Johnson, S., & Appleton, R. (2024). Review: Systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative literature on young people’s experiences of going to A&E/emergency departments for mental health support. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 29(3), 266-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12683
3. Cucer, A. (f.a.). Comportamentul deviant al adolescenţilor – caracteristici psihologice.
4. Deliu, A., Glăvan, E., Mihalache, F., Negu , A., Petrescu, C., Tufă, L., & oc, S. (f.a.). Institutul de Cercetare a Calităţii Vieţii.
5. England, N. H. S. (2024, octombrie 8). NHS England » Îngrijire urgentă şi de urgenţă a sănătăţii mintale pentru copii şi tineri: Ghid naţional de implementare. https://www.england.nhs.uk/ ublication/urgent-and-emergency-mental-health-care-for-children-and-young-people-national-implementation-guidance/
6. Hoge, M. A., Vanderploeg, J., Paris, M., Lang, J. M., & Olezeski, C. (2022). Emergency Department Use by Children and Youth with Mental Health Conditions: A Health Equity Agenda. Community Mental Health Journal, 58(7), 1225-1239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-00937-7
7. Matijašević, B., Mališa, S., & Vukašinović, A. (2025). The Role of Boredom in the Development of Risky Behaviours Among Adolescents. Adolescents, 5(3), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030036
8. Pap, T.-E., & Andrioni, F. (f.a.). Dug addiction and social deviance. Study on teenagers and students in the cluj county education system.
9. (PDF) The determinants of adolescents’ deviant behaviours. (2025). ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v15i1.2401
10. Rachel, C., Roman, N. V., & Donga, G. T. (2022). The Contribution of Parental Factors to Adolescents’ Deviant Behaviour in South Africa: Evidence from Three Rural Communities in South Africa. Social Sciences, 11(4), 152. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11040152
11. Saidinejad, M., Duffy, S., Wallin, D., Hoffmann, J. A., Joseph, M. M., Schieferle Uhlenbrock, J., Brown, K., Waseem, M., Snow, S., Andrew, M., Kuo, A. A., Sulton, C., Chun, T., Lee, L. K., American academy of pediatrics committee on pediatric emergency medicine, american college of emergency physicians Pediatric Emergency Medicine Committee, & Emergency nurses association Pediatric Committee. (2023a). The Management of Children and Youth With Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Emergencies. Pediatrics, 152(3), e2023063256. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-063256
12. Sesizari, T. R. (2023, martie 29). DGASPC Alba-Protectia copilului Alba Iulia. Telefon reclamatii online. https://www.telefonreclamatii.online/protectia-copilului-alba-iulia-dgaspc-alba/
13. Skogen, J. C., Andersen, A., Finserås, T. R., Ranganath, P., Brunborg, G. S., & Hjetland, G. J. (2023). Negative experiences on social media and mental health among adolescents. The “LifeOnSoMe”-Study. European Journal of Public Health, 33(Supplement_2), ckad160.294. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.294
14. Wells, L. K., Bartels, S. A., Nicholls, T., & Walker, M. (2024). Emergency department care experiences among youth with mental health concerns. PLOS Mental Health, 1(7), e0000200. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000200
15. Zhang, X., Huang, X., Chen, Q., Song, Y., Jiang, X., Zhou, J., Zhao, X., & Zhao, L. (2024). Analysis of deviant behaviors and family functions in the population at risk of internet addiction among primary and secondary school students in Chengdu city, Sichuan province of China. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1498466. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498466
16. Aproximativ 5.300 de cazuri de abuz, neglijare şi exploatare a copilului, în primul trimestru al 2024. (f.a.). radioromania.ro. Preluat în 30 octombrie 2025, din https://www.radioromania.ro/Actualitate/aproximativ-5-300-de-cazuri-de-abuz-neglijare-si-exploatare-a-copilului-in-primul-trimestru-al-2024-id30458.html
17. Strategii – DIRECŢIA GENERALĂ DE ASISTENŢĂ SOCIALĂ ŞI PROTEC IA COPILULUI ALBA. (f.a.). Preluat în 30 octombrie 2025, din https://www.protectiasocialaalba.ro/nou/strategii/
18. Studiu CNASR-UNICEF: Deficit de asistenţi sociali în rural şi forţă de muncă ameninţată de îmbătrânire. (f.a.). Preluat în 30 octombrie 2025, din https://www.galasocietatiicivile.ro/resurse/analize/studiucnasr-unicef-deficit-de-asisten-i-sociali-in-rural-i-for-a-de-munca-amenin-ata-de-imbatranire-24237.html
