The purposes of this study were to examine the factors of psychological maladjustment experienced by adolescents for educational welfare, and to analyze the effects of a self-growth group counseling program applied to horticultural activities, which have been considered effective social alternatives, on adolescents’ self-esteem, ego-resilience, and stress change. For these purposes, the program was executed for 8 th -grade students at Y Middle School through 10 sessions, once a week, and 100 minutes per session during the period from 5 September to 14 November in 2014. As to difference between before and after the program, when the horticultural activity program based on self-growth group counseling was applied, the control group included many negative ranks in self-esteem before and after, and thus there wasn’t significant change, but all the subjects in the experimental group showed highly significant improvement (P=0.005). As to changes in ego-resilience, both the control group and the experimental group included many positive ranks and the changes were significant, but the significance was somewhat higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P=0.007). A decrease in stress is indicated by a large number of negative ranks. The control group had many positive ranks, and thus the change was not significant. In the experimental group, all the subjects had a negative rank and therefore the change was highly significant (P=0.005). If such a horticultural activity program is applied to adolescents through a longer period, it is believed to bring a positive change in them.

This research is to conduct a survey on Plant Attitude Scale, Emotional Intelligence, Aggression Scale and Verbal Aggressiveness Scale of 540 elementary schoolchild and to analysis on credibility, descriptive statistics and correlation by SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Version 21. Both Plant Attitude Scale (Importance of plant, function of urban trees, interest on the plant, utilization of plant) and Emotional Intelligence (emotion recognition, empathy, emotion control ability) present significant correlation. The higher grade of plant attitude including higher emotional intelligence. in the entire of plant attitude, the most of subcategories of emotional intelligence indicate significant correlation. Importance of plant and interest on the plant has more significant correlation with emotional intelligence. As Plant Attitude Scale and Aggression Scale (physical aggression, anger, hostility) present the significant negative correlation, it shows that the higher plant attitude, the lower aggression. The plant attitude indicates very significant correlation between physical aggression and anger in physical aggression and anger as well as importance with plant. In case of function with urban trees, it shows the higher physical aggression, anger and interest on the plant, the lower physical aggression. While Plant Attitude Scale and Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (Swear, ridicule, taunt, threat, curse) present significant negative correlation, the higher plant attitude, the lower verbal aggressiveness. The plant attitude indicates that there is significant negative correlation in swear, ridicule, curse among the verbal aggressiveness. In the subordinate scope, especially in importance of plant, it shows significant difference that grade of sear gets lower as the higher swear and curse including case of swear, ridicule and function of urban trees and also there are higher points with sear, ridicule, curse and utilization of plant in case of interest on the plant.

The aims of this research were to examine whether horticultural activity is appropriate for personality education to prevent reformatory students from redelinquency, to make use of it for developing educational programs and to take advantage of the research as based information. In order to accomplish the purposes, the researches and surveys were taken in four parts targeting 262 reformatory students from five different Youth Detention Centers out of ten centers in the country: simple mental health diagnostic inventory, general characteristics, preferences of personality programs that are currently underway to juvenile delinquents in juvenile protection education institution, and awareness and preference of the plants and horticultural activities. First of all, as a result of simple mental health diagnostic inventory, ‘depression’ appeared to be the highest while ‘hostility’, ‘somatization’, ‘obsessional thinking’, ‘interpersonal sensitivity’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘psychosis’ emerged in the order. Secondly, as a result of preferences of personality programs, ‘social work’ appeared relatively the highest, while ‘Do-dream program’, ‘art therapy’, ‘career exploration’, and ‘sex education’ showed in the order. Thirdly, 53.3% students responded that personality programs through horticultural activities is desirable and 84% appeared that they prefer it. The most preferred plant species were fruit trees (strawberries, apples), flowers (roses, herbs) and vegetables (Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes). The most interesting garden activities were ‘growing (cultivation)’, ‘decorating (decoration and craft)’ and ‘feeling plants (appreciating).’ Therefore, it is well ascertained that juvenile delinquents in juvenile protection education institution consider introducing horticultural programs into personality education positive. Based on these results, it is identified that more various and specialized horticulture programs to prevent reformatory students from redelinquency should be developed for practical use.