Educating Delinquent Youths: The Malaysian Story

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 department and governmental documents made public as well as past research on delinquent youths. Meanwhile, a curtsy visit was made to a correctional facility in Kuala Lumpur to observe and obtain preliminary input into the education and training provided at the facility.

The authors found that there are three main challenges to sufficiently educate delinquent youths in Malaysia. These include unclear policy on the education of youths at correctional facilities; the lack of framework in facilitating the education of these youths; and the lack of awareness and understanding on the need for educating these youths, despite their behaviors. The paper ends with two solutions to these challenges and future directions for this issue on the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia.