SOCIAL INCLUSION OF ROMA YOUTH IN THE CONTEXT OF RISK BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

A specific feature of the Roma community is socialization on two levels - integration into their own Roma community, and integration into the majority of society. This paper focuses on a specific group of adolescents, namely the Roma youth, while the social inclusion of this youth is considered by authors an important phenomenon, from which the life of the individual further unfolds, as well as risk behaviour manifested in it, in which adolescents participate to a greater extent compared to other developmental stages.

On the empirical level, this paper focuses on the need for social inclusion and achieved social inclusion of respondents. The research sample consisted of Roma youth living in marginalized settlements in eastern Slovakia, and respondents living outside of Roma settlements. The result was the finding that these groups of adolescents do not differ in the need of social inclusion, but the achieved social inclusion demonstrated more in Roma adolescents living outside of the settlements. By comparing these two values, it has been shown that Roma adolescents living in settlements feel pushed away, unworthy of the attention of others, and underestimated. On the other hand, Roma living outside of settlements feel harassed, oppressed, and subjected to group pressure and social conventions.