The article addresses the challenge of updating Don Bosco’s preventive system, centred on the accompaniment of the young, to make it congruent with the present day. It is emphasised that youth accompaniment is the new description of the heart of the preventive system. However, to be in tune with Don Bosco’s Da mihi animas, an integral approach to accompaniment is necessary. This integral approach implies that the young person under guidance receives attention in all dimensions: physical, psychological, relational, functional, and spiritual. It emphasises that personal accompaniment concerns the whole person and the completeness of the person, involving personal development and the (re)integration of all aspects of life. Different models of accompaniment exist, from spontaneous conversation to systematically planned meetings through a formal agreement. The article focuses on the figure of the accompanying person, considered to be the main instrument of accompaniment.
Reference time period: 2023
C. Loots, “Being a guide and companion for young people today” in “Journal of salesian studies“, 30 (2023) 1, 31-49.
Reference institution:
Institute of Salesian Studies
