Abstract:

The paper aims to examine the truancy issue among students in adolescence and consequently to point out the possibilities of the social pedagogue in dealing with this socio-pathological phenomenon in the school environment. The research involved 300 participants, including 202 male and 98 female students. The main research method was a self-administered questionnaire designed for students. The grounded theory method was used to analyze the research data. The results show that students in the period of adolescence have either direct or indirect experience of truancy, while problems in the family (poor financial situation, indifferent attitude of parents, alcoholism), drug experience to addiction in students, teacher's personality, dissatisfaction with the course and form of teaching, peer influence, peer problems, leisure activities, bullying in the school environment and its late and/or improper prevention were identified as the causal conditions of its existence. The above findings declare the necessity of a school support team, of which the social pedagogue is a member. Strategies for action and intervention may include but are not limited to intervention programmes, offering extracurricular activities and programmes reflecting the interests and needs of students, interdisciplinary cooperation, working with teachers and working with students' families.

Keywords:

Truancy, socio-pathological phenomenon, social pedagogue, prevention, school, family.