A case study on academic and vocational training for child offenders undergoing a multisystemic therapy-based rehabilitation order in Malaysia

Abstract

Education and vocational training play a crucial element in the rehabilitation process of child offenders. They develop valuable characters of an individual, contributing to a long-term positive impact that includes a brighter future and life opportunities. This paper discusses the importance of the Multisystemic therapy (MST) approach, particularly its academic and vocational training input, as a rehabilitation component for child offenders. Based on a case study in Kuala Lumpur that examines the practice of restorative justice in Malaysia's juvenile justice system, the study emphasizes a community-based rehabilitation program that underlies the MST approach in promoting educational and vocational training for child offenders to show the significant link between social rehabilitation and academic and vocational training. The study confirms that all child offenders who participated in the study had dropped out of school. These individuals did not receive either academic education or vocational training throughout the rehabilitation process in the community. Therefore, this study suggests that the local community-based rehabilitation program for child offender genuinely follow the MST approach, mainly its academic and vocational training input. This suggestion is critical to ensure that the country's juvenile justice system grants all child offenders the opportunity to pursue an academic education or vocational training. It is vital for their future development.