ABSTRACT:

Several studies show that children especially those who came from poor families and those
run away from home are being more at risk to danger physically, emotionally, and mentally. These
children suffer from hunger, cold, sickness, abuse, exploitation, peer influence and even crimes. Most
of them are child workers, they engaged in vending, car washing, scavenging, begging and most of
the time they engaged themselves in crimes such as petty theft, solvent abuse, peddling drugs,
vagrancy, and prostitution. According to DSWD, children as young as 9 years old are reported getting
involved in crimes yet those 15 to 18 years of age are more vulnerable in doing such things. These
children are often in conflict with the authorities and in major cases, they were arrested and detained
like adults and sometimes ending up in the same cells as adult prisoners (UNICEF).
With this disturbing issue, the Philippine government developed the Juvenile Justice and
Welfare System (R. A. 9344) in 2006, which deals with the children-in-conflict-with-the-law (CICL)
as well as the children at risk, and has an objective; recognizes the vital role of children and youth in
nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social
well-being (R. A. 9344, Sec. 2 (a); this act aims to provide child-appropriate actions which include
programs and services for prevention, diversion, rehabilitation, reintegration, and aftercare to ensure
their normal growth and development. However, human-rights groups are not convinced that this act
really helps to improve the human development needs of these children especially their emotional
intelligence and social development since the governments services and facilities are not enough and
not suitable to address their reformatory purposes.
The research study aims to provide an environment both built and natural that can be used as
a tool to create a comfortable and therapeutic setting that can promote better recovery and
psychological growth for the children in conflict with the law and that will enhance their emotional
intelligence and social development. It also aims to provide a productive environment that will allow
opportunities for them to engage with the different significant activities of the society and at the same
time encourage social interaction so that they will be seen as children with potentials and skills
instead of children at risk into committing different crimes.
Thesis Title (A Study on the Impact of Physical Environment to the Cognitive and Social Development of
Children in Conflict with the Law)
JESSICA S. PEREZ)
2012123121 7/31/2017