International Conference on Education and Regional Development 2016 (ICERD 2016)
“Cross-Cultural Education for Sustainable Regional Development”
Bandung, Indonesia.
31 October & 1 November 2016
Leisure Activities in Developing Social Competence among
Teenagers
Norkamisah Basari1, Faridah Mydin Kutty2
1,2,
Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia,
Abstract
Youth is the stage in which an individual experiences various aspects and processes to involve effectively in society.
Teenagers have a lot of free time and are free to choose their own favorite leisure time activities. In Malaysia, most
teenagers are actively involved in leisure time activities. There are two indicators in the domain of leisure time as outlined
in the Malaysian Youth Index, namely leisure involvement and participation in sports activities. The questions arouse on
the impact of these activities on young people. Therefore, this concept paper will explore on how leisure time activities
can build social competence among teenagers. The findings from the secondary analysis showed that teenagers that
involved in various activities outside of the classroom and possess good social skills are more likely to succeed in
academic. Teenagers with good social competence are able to control their behavior as they are able to create positive
feedback and handle social problems. Social competence can be measured using the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced
(IRSA), which contains six items, namely the ability to express feelings, assertiveness, sensitivity, the ability to establish
interpersonal relationships and self-control. Social skills at an early stage is important to prevent teenagers from having
problems in academic and social issues. However, there are evidences that early experience can be changed through social
interaction. Further studies should be conducted to build a profound understanding of available programs particularly for
leisure activities involving youth to avoid social problems thus to foster positive development among teenagers.
Keywords: leisure time, social competence, teenagers.
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1.0 Introduction
Social interaction of individuals expands in a variety of ways needed social skills and specific abilities.
This is because social skills can promote positive interaction with other individuals, also to avoid getting
involved with a negative social interaction (Flowers, 2008). The ability to adapt to the various needs of
individual interpersonal progress in society have reached individual social skills. This has been studied and is
known as social competence (Bierman, 2004).
Social interaction brings many benefits. Among of it is individual will be able to increase the sense of
belonging, self-confidence and a sense of togetherness when involved in various social activities in addition to
help increase the number of friends, have a good sense of self and can provide an opportunity to do things that
can not be done alone like winning sports group or project (Pettry, 2006). Participation in leisure activities is
seen as one way of helping young people to develop themselves in generic skills, exploring the relationship
between each other and learn to cope with their surrounding communities (Chi et al., 2009). Activities
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674
available in various forms of educational activities can contribute to the integration of diverse social, nation
building and promoting awareness of the concept of lifelong education (Piskunova, 2009).)..
In Malaysia, the involvement of leisure time among youth is very good (the Malaysian Youth Index,
2015). According to a study by the Research Institute of Youth Development (IYRES) Ministry of Youth and
Sports (2015) to over 6098 respondents, the overall index score for domain leisure time is 81.02.
Achievement scores are categorized as very satisfactory, meaning that Malaysia's youth are very actively
involved in sports and leisure activities such as blogging, browsing social sites, shopping, hobby activities,
recreation and so on.
For a teenager, leisure time gives them the opportunity to try out various social roles and different
activities (Sinisa & Marina, 2014). However, monitoring should be done to ensure that leisure time activities
to activities that benefit either to the individual or society as a whole. Many questions were raised about the
impact of leisure activities on the behavior and development of adolescents (Zakiyah, 2012). Therefore, this
paper attempts to review the concept of leisure activities to build social competence in adolescents. To meet
this goal, the definition, components and related theory of leisure activities and social competence will be
discussed.
2.0 Issues and Problems
Leisure time for teenagers are plenty, where it meets more of a combination between the school and the
time to do other work (Steinberg, 2011). However, filling their time with activities that are not beneficial and
less directed can cause teenagers trapped with negative events and actions. Adolescent social problems in
Brazil is constantly changing in line with the times. In the 1960s, the culture of 'hippies' associated with drug
addiction began to spread among urban teens and continued until the early 1970s. In the early 1980s, the
global recession led to rising unemployment and associated poverty as the cause of delinquency. The
phenomenon of social problems out into the country because of the phenomena associated with the drug
problem out, running away from home, alcohol and promiscuity among teens in line with the emergence of
symptoms of 'Charmed' and 'bohjan'. In the 1990s the issue of free sex and baby dumping makes social
magazine in Malaysia is increasingly complicated. The early 21st century the country was shocked by the
rampant gangstrerisme problem (Lukman and Zuriana, 2002).
The study of juvenile delinquency found that adolescents who commit offenses also received low scores
in tests of vision, speech, writing, reading and general intelligence (Azizi et al., 2012). Teens who are
involved in crime also have had to think abstractly, to arrange objects or ideas in an orderly arrangement and
concentrate. According to the researchers, this condition may be caused by a teenager who has not yet had to
deal with feelings of cognitive control, learning problems faced by them may render them difficult to
concentrate and control their feelings and actions.
3.0 Definitions, Past Research And Theory
3.1 Teenager Concept
Youth or adolescence word comes from Latin 'Iadolescere' which means to grow and grow towards
maturity (Steinberg, 2011). Although there are no accurate estimates of the age to categorize someone as a
teenager, but most scholars adolescent psychology defines it as 13 to 19 years (Steinberg, 2008). According to
(Larson & Wilson, 2004) growing up teenager, moving from childhood to adulthood is not mature to a more
mature and also to prepare for the future.
In Malaysia, youths are included in the definition of the child in accordance with Section 2 (1) of the
Child Act 2001, a person aged under 18 years. Children refers to juveniles and young persons who have not
attained the age of 18 years as outlined in the Age of Majority Act 1971. Therefore, teenagers can be defined
as a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood (Norellza, 2012). At the junior level network growth
and development occur simultaneously physical, emotional, social, psychological and intellectual (Alvarez,
2013). The second is a transition period in terms of biological, psychological, social and economic. Youth is
also a process to meet the requirements, attitudes and beliefs, to engage more effectively in society (Roger,
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1972).
In summary word teen can be understood as an individual who is ranked the teen years, between the
period of childhood and adulthood. In adolescence, growth occurred in various aspects such as biological or
physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological, social and economic. Youth is also a process to engage
effectively in society.
3.2 The Concept Of Youth Leisure Activities
Leisure is defined as the time after school and refers to all activities performed by young people for
recreational purposes or on the basis of its own interests (Trainor et al., 2010). Free also means the use of
leisure time and free time in adolescent desire. Leisure time, usually on weekends, holidays or certain times of
the other. One important difference between leisure time with other activities is a teen choose their own
leisure activities while their time in school is determined by others, for example teachers. Leisure time
activities have either been arranged or carried out voluntarily by adolescents seen benefits in terms of
physiological (Larson, 2000).
For many teenagers around the world, co-curricular activities meets most of their leisure activities
(Mahoney et al., 2009). Asia Teen and Europe was said to provide 3-fold reading time compared to with
American teens. Leisure activities such as socializing with friends, engage in sports and games, watching
television and listening to the radio, surfing the Internet, playing musical instruments and video games and
shopping (Steinberg, 2011). Referring to the findings of a study by Sinia & Marina (2014), adolescents meet
most of their free time surfing the Internet and at least in cultural activities. This finding is worrying because,
according to them, the Internet is electronic media which may contribute to the development of various forms
of risky behavior such as gambling, betting, bullying and other juvenile delinquency.
Youth Development Research Institute Malaysia (IYRES) Ministry of Youth and Sports (2015) outlines
two indicators under the domain of leisure time and the use of leisure time sports activities. Between these
two indicators, involvement scores in a wide range of leisure activities such as surfing the social networking
site, watch television, work on places of worship and other (93.29) is higher than the score of sporting
activities (66.74).
Based on the findings and writing about the definition of leisure, it can be concluded that leisure is free
time outside school hours, weekends and school holidays. At this time, teens are free to choose their own
activities that interested them because they have plenty of time to be filled with a variety of activities. Most
teenagers prefer to choose leisure activities such as surfing the internet, especially social networking sites,
watch television and work at a place of worship compared with sports activities. Malaysian Youth Index
classify two indicators in the domain of free time leisure time involvement and participation in sports
activities.
3.3
The Concept Of Social Competence
Social competence is in social skills in learned behavior by a person that enable students to interact with
others in ways that exhibit positive feedback and help avoid negative feedback (Gresham & Elliot, 1984).
Singgih (2011) defined social competence and social competence as the ability to use social resources in the
form of opportunities and facilities in the environment and utilize personal resources to deal with problems
that arise in social interaction. Adolescents with high social competence will demonstrate a good ability to
understand and master the social problems objectively and not worried to determine the attitudes and actions.
According to Anme et al. (2014), social competence can be measured using the Interaction Rating
Scale Advanced (IRSA) which have the validity and reliability. IRSA is also said to have the power to access
social competence at all ages and easy to use. There are six items contained in IRSA, namely the ability to say
powerful feelings, assertiveness, sensitivity, the ability to establish interpersonal relationships and selfcontrol.
In summary, social competence is the ability to regulate behavior in social interactions with social skills
available to create positive feedback. Teens who have high social competence can make decisions objectively
in handling and avoiding social problems.
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Leisure Time Activities And Social Competence
Studies have shown a positive correlation between participation in extra-curricular and outcomes of
adolescents in which the participation of youth in extracurricular activities actually managed to improve the
achievement of adolescents in schools, reduce the dropout problem, prevent delinquency, drug use and the
risk of other substance, as well as adding psychological well-being and the social status of students
(Steinberg, 2011). The findings also show that more involvement of adults affect children's ability to get
along with other children (Hartup, 1992) subsequent to predict academic achievement.
The study of social development and academic achievement of children and adolescents have been
implemented. Wenzle (1993) found that there is a significant relationship between prosocial and antisocial
behavior with an average grade student achievement, just as it was expected by their teachers. These studies
show that children who are able to socialize with both tend to be children whom succeed academically.
Despite the study by Chan and Rodziah (2012) found only a medium to high correlation between emotional
intelligence and academic achievement and student behavior.
To explain why social development is important in the process of academic learning, studies have been
conducted on students who are ages of children and adolescents have supported the notion that the social
skills acquired in the initial education is related to social skills and academic achievement during the period of
schooling. Social skills can be used to predict academic performance during and in the future (Maleckie &
Elliot, 2002). Caprara et al. (2000) found that aggressive behavior and maladaptive reduce academic success
by creating conditions in which children are alienated from social groups. The study also showed that children
tend to behave aggressively and maladaptive like antisocial behavior, crime and drug addiction if their social
development at an early stage children are slower (Greer-Chase et al., 2002).
The home environment has a strong influence on social development. However Sroufe (1996) presented
evidence that the quality social interactions after children stage can change their initial experience. Important
components that influence the learning environment is safe and supportive of these adolescents (Caprara et
al., 2000). Bub (2009) shows in particular that the children have good social skills and fewer behavior
problems when they enter preschool and grades one to three, more support for emotional rather than focusing
on purely academic.
Through studies above, it can be concluded that the involvement of children or adolescents in various
activities outside the classroom can predict academic achievement and behavior. Involvement in extracurricular activities and the ability to socialize with both tend to make careof successful academically. Social
skills acquired at an early stage can also be used to predict academic success in the future. Conversely,
children with lack of social skills tend to have problems in school and involved in social issues. However,
there is evidence that early experience can be changed through social interaction quality.
3.5
Theory
According to social learning theory as the approach taken by Albert Bandura, a learned behavior by
young people is not only due to the strengthening or fines but through observation and imitation of the people
in their environment. From this point of view, many teenagers take risks is likely to imitate their peers, family
members or actors in mass media (Steinberg, 2011). To identify and examine the things that affect individual
participation in leisure activities, self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977) can be used as the basis on which a
person believes in the abilities that can be achieved in yourself. Theories by Bandura is useful for predicting
the involvement and interest in leisure activities.
Ecological theory states that the environment has a great influence in the development of a person.
Interaction between individuals in the environment will shape the behavior of the individual. The leading
theory of ecology and environment could explain the implications of the individual is the theory of
Bronfenbrenner Ecology. This theory looks at how the ecological environment in which the human being can
affect their social interactions (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) further develop social competence. There are five
systems in individual development environments , Microsystems, mesosystem, ecosystems, chronosistem and
macrosystem. The five systems this environment affects the development of social interaction of teenagers to
build a strong social competence.
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Microsystem involve closest environment where teenagers spend most time interacting directly with
people around like family and friends, will greatly affect its development (Santrock, 2007). Relations between
the microsystem interaction with other microsystem will create mesosystem. Ecosystems also experience an
environment that is not involved directly, but affects a teenager
Macrosistem is a change in circumstances involving a particular period in which the development of
adolescents is influenced by the norms and practices of the community. Finally is chronosistem involving
growth in a period of time. However, when teens interact in a social environment, two opposite effect will
occurs, namely a close relationship or competition with a group of friends or with other groups. Students learn
a lot about justice, unfair and problem solving leisurely. Many children who grew up and develop as a
teenager with social competence through negotiations, turned a turn, build internal regulations and friends
(Lague 2007). Involvement, values and social competence will affect relationships among adolescents
(Singgih, 2011).
4.0
Suggestion
It is important to distinguish between the involvement of adolescents in structured leisure activities such
as extra-curricular activities with not structured like spending time with friends. Teenagers feels better when
they are involved in structured leisure activities compared to other leisure time. In addition to their
participation in extra-curricular activities in schools can improve the well-being of teenager and strengthen
their relationship with school (Steinberg, 2011).
Extra-curricular activities is one of the positive activities to fill teenager leisure time. In addition, extracurricular activities can increase the sense of belonging to the school that manage to reduce levels of truancy
and to improve interpersonal skills of adolescents (Utami et al., 2010). Teens who engage with more time in
unstructured leisure activities will have a risk getting involved in problematic behavior. This era, busy
working parents leads to adolescent self-care after school hours that will lead to problems. The greatest risk
for problem behaviors found among adolescents living in an dangerous neighborhood, spending most of the
time with their peers with no supervision and without being monitored by parents (Zakiyah, 2012).
There are many misconceptions about various uses of leisure time as a whole. Some paid activities that
are trusted by adults for adolescents may incur higher cost compared to the benefits obtained. Other activities
such as watching television, playing video games and surfing the Internet is trusted by adults can be a waste
of time or bad for teenager development is probably not as bad as expected (Steinberg, 2011). Adolescents
who are exposed to deviant behavior while performing leisure activities can be prevented through good
impression of reward and leisure activities are monitored efficiently by educators and leaders concerned
(Sobral, 2009).
. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more studies for thorough understanding to the researchers, parents
and the ministry such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the programs that are available, even for leisure
activities that often involve teenagers. It's important to not only avoid delinquent behavior among adolescents
but also foster positive youth development through filling their leisure time. In addition to youth's
involvement in a wide range of leisure activities to further strengthen social skills develop social competence
in addition to what teens have learned in the classroom.
5.0
Conclusions
Teenagers are individuals who is in the middle period of the child and adult . In adolescence, growth
occurs in many aspects and is a process to engage effectively in society. Due to teens have ample of free time
outside of school hours, they are free to choose their own activities that interest them. Malaysian Youth Index
classify two indicators in the domain of free time , which is leisure time involvement and participation in
sports activities. Most teens Malaysia prefers leisure activities compared to sports activities. Teens who have
good social competence able to control the behavior as social skills to create positive feedback and can handle
social problems. Social competence can be measured using the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced (IRSA),
which contains six items, namely the ability to say powerful feelings, assertiveness, sensitivity, the ability to
establish interpersonal relationships and self-control.
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The findings show that children or adolescents are involved in various outdoor activities such as cocurricular activities and has the ability to socialize with both likely to succeed academically. Social skills at an
early stage is important to prevent them having academic problems and engage in social issues. However,
there is evidence that early experience can be changed through quality social interaction.
Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study for a deep understanding of the programs that are
available, even for leisure activities that often involve teenagers. This is important to prevent delinquent
behavior among adolescents and foster positive youth development through filling their leisure time.
Involvement of leisure activities to further strengthen social skills develop social competence in addition to
what teens have learned in the classroom. Leisure time should be used for good purposes and fruitful. Leisure
time planned and scheduled well can be used as a source of organizing life. People who are successful in life
are the ones who managed to discipline himself with time. Therefore, it is important for young people to
familiarize themselves with the use of leisure time activities with a beneficial
schedule
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