Educating delinquent youths: A qualitative approach to understand the Malaysian story

Abstract

Background: This paper reports on the first stage of a larger research project on the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia. Specifically, this paper addresses the challenges of educating delinquent youths in the country. As a developing nation, Malaysia faces various issues pertaining social and youth development. The question explored in this study is whether delinquent youths in Malaysia are neglected in terms of systematic and adequate education. In Malaysia, delinquent youths are sent to correctional facilities all around the country, where they are separated from school systems, their families and communities; it can be argued that these youths are deprived of moral support from society. This paper aims to identify the challenges around educating delinquent youths in Malaysia and to recommend potential solutions to these challenges. Methods: The research approaches adopted for this paper included content analysis of printed documents and preliminary informal interviews with the staff at one correctional facility. Content analysis data were gathered from departmental and government documents made public as well as past research on delinquent youths. Meanwhile, a curtesy visit was made to a correctional facility in Kuala Lumpur to obtain preliminary input into the education and training provided at the facility. Results: The authors found that there are three main challenges to sufficiently educating delinquent youths in Malaysia. These include unclear policy on the education of youths at correctional facilities; the lack of frameworks facilitating the education of these youths; and the lack of awareness and understanding on the need for educating these youths, despite their behaviors. Conclusions: The paper ends with two solutions to these challenges and future directions for the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia.