An examination of the effects of the play therapy on social skills and problematic behaviours in children stayin in women shelter homes

The study was an experimental study in which experimental - control group, pre - test, post - test and follow - up measurements were made and it was carried out with 8 children aged 3-6 years in 4 experimental groups and 4 control groups in female guesthouses with their mothers. It is given in research; '' Parent-Child Information Form '' and '' Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale (PKBS-2) '. Children in the experimental group were given a 14-session game therapy, each of which lasted 30 minutes. Analyzes were evaluated nonparametrically with the SPSS package program. The Mann Whitney U-test was used to compare the pre-test and post-test averages of the experimental and control groups, and the Wilcoxon Marked Rank test was used to compare the pre-test, post-test and follow-up test averages of the experimental and control groups. The results of the findings of the study show that social skills such as social co-operation, social interaction, social independence of the children in the experimental group are increased, and inward and outward behavior problems are decreased. As a result, it was determined that the game therapy was effective on the social skills and problem behaviors of children aged 3-6 years. Key words: Children in women's guesthouses, play therapy, problem behavior, social skills