Military conscription to tackle juvenile delinquency: Effective measure or new problem?

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has begun implementing a mandatory military service program for troubled teenagers in the province. Will this move solve the problem?

Is military conscription training the right approach to tackle juvenile delinquency? Credit: Getty Images/Connect Images

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has launched a military conscription training for troubled teenagers in the province. In his statement in the Indonesian media Dedi said that the program will help troubled teens restore their identity according to their developmental stage in life through disciplined lifestyle and behavior.

The movement has sparked various reactions among Indonesians.

A teenager from Bandung, West Java, Ananda, says military conscription training is not the right approach to tackle the problems with troubled teens.

"In my opinion, (military conscription training) is more towards handling the symptoms instead of the underlying reason. Who can guarantee that after they return from the military barracks they will not relapse? It might happen because the root cause has not been handled," said Ananda.

Meanwhile, Sutimah, a mother from Bekasi, West Java, decided to send her only son to an Islamic boarding school in Kediri, East Java, which implements semi-military education.

Sutimah's only son, Ahmad Baasith Ar Raafi, was sent to an Islamic boarding school which implements semi-military education. Credit: Supplied/Sutimah

“I am concerned with the interaction of teenagers out there, therefore I sent my son to a boarding school where they apply discipline-based concepts and everything is fast-paced so my son can be independent,” Sutimah said. “The difference is very apparent between the person he was before and the person he is now. His physique is in good shape, too.”

A child and teen psychologist from Smart Talent Psychology Art Center in Jakarta Lucy Lidiawati Santioso has expressed her concern with the program.

Psichologist Lucy Lidiawati Santioso, S.Psi., M.H. Credit: Supplied/Lucy Santioso

“I personally feel a bit sad that they think troubled teens should be sent to military training,” said Santioso, who is also a lecturer at Insan Cita Indonesia University.

“For me, (this military conscription training for troubled teens) is actually trauma-informed care but it is based on trauma and violence. (This method) emphasises obedience without providing any room for dialogue.”

What appropriate approach should be implemented to deal with troubled teens then?

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