Peer Mentoring as a Restorative Justice Strategy for Youth Perpetrating Street Violence in the Special Region of Yogyakarta

Abstract

The Juvenile Social Protection and Rehabilitation Center (BPRSR) ofYogyakarta Special Region (DIY) handles juvenile street violence (klithih) offendersbut faces challenges in peer mentoring, a vital component of restorative justice. Toenhance the skills of BPRSR staff, the Youth Studies Centre (YouSure), in collaborationwith the Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH), organized a community serviceprogram in the form of a workshop series. The program aimed to strengthen staffcapabilities in identifying mental health problems, providing psychological first aid, andoffering basic counseling. The training began with a pre-test to assess participants’initial skills, followed by the training sessions, and concluded with a post-test. Resultsfrom the pre-test revealed a lack of understanding of the procedures for addressingmental health issues, while the post-test demonstrated a significant improvementin both skills and knowledge. Despite the training’s effectiveness, further followupis necessary to achieve a more comprehensive approach to restorative justice.Future training should be more in-depth and ongoing, addressing the identified gapsand supporting the practical application of these skills in adolescent rehabilitation atBPRSR.