REINFORCING THE TRANSFORMATION OF STEREOTYPICAL PERCEPTIONS OF IMPRISONED DRUG USERS ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CRIME: UTILIZING THE METHOD OF "TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING THROUGH AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE"

The commission of criminal acts has always been a social problem, both socially and scientifically engaging. Many theories have been formulated from time to time about what is considered a criminal act, as well as about the factors that contribute to the occurrence of the phenomenon, varying according to the time and the social conditions that prevailed. The study was conducted at the Detention Centre of Patras, with the participation of seven drug users and members of the KETHEA consultation programme. Methodologically, the qualitative approach has been chosen and in particular the action research with the use of group-focused interviews. The research findings are relevant to what one may come across in the bibliography, while at the same time they highlight three basic cause factors of criminal behavior: individual characteristics, family and environmental reasons, with emphasis placed upon the substance abuse, and peer pressure. Moreover, the use of the “Transformative Learning through Aesthetic Experience” method has proven to be extremely functional as far as the alteration of perceptions among groups of users-prisoners is concerned. It can also complement the therapeutic procedure and the social integration of this particular group of people. Article visualizations: