Parental influence on the working alliance in juvenile probation: Insights from Greek juvenile probation officers

The study examines the influence of parents on the working alliance between juvenile probation officers and adolescents on probation in Greece. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 Greek juvenile probation officers from seven juvenile probation services throughout the country, the study identifies the specific attitudes and behaviors that enhance—or hinder—the probation officer-adolescent working alliance, focusing on two of its core elements: the emotional bond and goals agreed upon by the dyad. The study proposes a tripartite model of the probation officer–adolescent alliance, shifting from a dyadic approach to one where parents act as key mediators who can either reinforce or hinder trust and goals within the justice process. Parental attitudes, often rooted in their perception of the officer as caring or controlling, act as catalysts or disruptors—highlighting the need for a parallel alliance with parents to strengthen the officer-adolescent alliance and drive effective outcomes.