Crime Victims Support System and Restorative Justice: Possible Implementation in Malaysia

Victims’ position is increasingly acknowledged in the criminal justice system across the world. Because of that, criminal justice systems in various countries slowly transform from focusing too much on the relationship between offenders and the legal system and to between the offenders and their victims. Several programs are highlighted such as victim-offender mediation, family group conferences, reparative orders and referral orders in this article. Findings from several studies support the effectiveness of the programs on both the victims and the offenders in terms of several measurements such as satisfaction and recidivism. Looking at this revolution, Malaysian academicians and professionals are beginning to recognize restorative justice as a possible revolution to its criminal justice system, but Malaysian criminal justice system first needs to strengthen or build components that support victims of crime, as this is one of the main principles of restorative justice. Currently, Malaysia still focuses on offenders and their relationship with legal system, but not much with their own victims (physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of the crime). Several possible issues before formal implementation of restorative justice are discussed. The issues (culture, training, and attitude of Malaysian people, including the victims, offenders, and those who work with them) can influence the efficiency of restorative justice programs if not identified systematically. These issues can also be the possible research areas to be ventured in the future as these researches can help in implementation

Memahami Dimensi Spiritualitas dalam Praktek Pekerjaan Sosial

Spiritualitas adalah aspek penting dalam praktek pekerjaan sosial yang mengarah kepada intervensiyang bersifat psikososial. Spiritualitas dapat memberdayakan klien secara emosional melalui penemuankebermaknaan dan kepastian tujuan hidup. Spiritualitas dapat memberikan pemulihan terhadap korbankekerasan dan pelecehan seksual, juga berperan meningkatkan derajat kesehatan, berkontribusi terhadapkedamaian pikiran dan terbebas dari ketidakpastian akan tujuan hidup. Selain itu spiritualitas adalahcoping strategi pada beberapa pasangan dalam menghadapi masalah kehidupan perkawinan. Kajian inimerupakan kajian literatur yang bertujuan untuk memberikan sumbangan pemikiran terhadap pentingnyamenggali aspek-aspek spiritual klien. Dalam praktek pekerjaan sosial adalah penting untuk menjagasensitifitas dan menghargai keyakinan yang dianut oleh klien. Untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan danketerampilan dalam pemberian pelayanan adalah penting para pekerja sosial mendapatkan pelatihantertentu dalam menghadapi isu spiritualitas secara profesional

Parental Grief and Marital Issues Aftermath: A Pilot Study

The death of a child is difficult to the bereaved parents. Literature had associated the loss with marriage disruption. The issues on that the difficulties to communicate, gender-related coping mechanisms and sexual need were discussed as reasons for bereaved parents to have conflict in their relationship. However there is limited knowledge about this issue. A pilot study has been conducted among six bereaved parents. The bereaved parents were Malaysian Muslim bereaved parents. They were interviewed individually to explore the challenges or conflicts that they had experienced after the death of their child. This study revealed that there were situations which bereaved parents described as having difficulties in their relationship. However, this study also revealed that the mutual understanding and respect to each other are the most of important components for bereaved parents to maintain their relationship post-loss. This study suggested the importance of suggesting couple counselling to bereaved parents after the death of their child

Entrepreneurial Skills through Engagement Activities with a Disabled Community

Universities are no longer ivory towers where a research is done for research sake alone. University researchers are often accused of being disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life and sometimes overspecialised or even worthless. However, this negative perception of universities has changed. Today, universities are engaging with the communities and industries through various programmes for a win-win situation for the benefit of all stakeholders. The transfer of practical knowledge from universities helps improve the socioeconomic, socio-cultural and socio-political developments of the community. When such knowledge and skill are shared with the disabled or the unfortunate population, the potential positive impact is even more fulfilling. This paper reports on the success of a community engagement activity with a disabled community in reviving an abandoned cat fish rearing project. It describes the three challenging but exciting phases of this engagement process until the cat fish rearing project is fully revived and sustainable with support from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). While instilling the population with the needed entrepreneurial skill to ensure sustainability of the project, USM social work students gain invaluable experience of engaging the community through clear phases of the process without sacrificing the general values and cultures of the community. Instead, the students engaged these values to win the confidence and trust of the communit

School’s Perspectives on Educational Programmes under Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives. Case Study: Malaysia

This study explores the impacts of the Corporate Social Responsibility educational programme from the schools’ perspectives towards their pupils and school. A qualitative approach was chosen from a case study of these programmes conducted in Malaysia. The method used for data collection was semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was adopted to collect data from headmasters/mistresses from 10 primary schools and was analysed using narrative analysis. Findings shows that these programmes have impacted pupils through educational exposure, a holistic approach, academic improvement, feeling motivated, encouraging creativity and assisting in pupils’ future career development. One of the impacts that were related to the educational programmes was the teaching and learning knowledge that was gained by the teachers. Other than that, the educational programmes also eased the financial burden of the school as well as providing benefits to the surrounding community. Schools suggested that the programmes should be improved by creating better and more programme type content, being more academically focused, allocating more funding, being conducted over a longer period for sustainability, and conducting the programme more regularly. Corporate Social Responsibility educational programmes in future are suggested to be academic related which should include an English language programme, information technology, 21st century learning, a green programme, basic skills (read, write, count), a motivational programme, and a study visit. In conclusion, CSR educational programmes initiatives must be sustainable because it had great impact on pupils, teachers, schools, and the community surrounding the school

MEMAHAMI DIMENSI SPIRITUALITAS DALAM PRAKTEK PEKERJAAN SOSIAL

Spiritualitas adalah aspek penting dalam praktek pekerjaan sosial yang mengarah kepada intervensiyang bersifat psikososial. Spiritualitas dapat memberdayakan klien secara emosional melalui penemuankebermaknaan dan kepastian tujuan hidup. Spiritualitas dapat memberikan pemulihan terhadap korbankekerasan dan pelecehan seksual, juga berperan meningkatkan derajat kesehatan, berkontribusi terhadapkedamaian pikiran dan terbebas dari ketidakpastian akan tujuan hidup. Selain itu spiritualitas adalahcoping strategi pada beberapa pasangan dalam menghadapi masalah kehidupan perkawinan. Kajian inimerupakan kajian literatur yang bertujuan untuk memberikan sumbangan pemikiran terhadap pentingnyamenggali aspek-aspek spiritual klien. Dalam praktek pekerjaan sosial adalah penting untuk menjagasensitifitas dan menghargai keyakinan yang dianut oleh klien. Untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan danketerampilan dalam pemberian pelayanan adalah penting para pekerja sosial mendapatkan pelatihantertentu dalam menghadapi isu spiritualitas secara profesional.Kata kunci : Spiritualitas, Kebermaknaan, Praktek Pekerjaan Sosia

The Readiness of Probation Officers of the Implementation of Restorative Justice in Malaysia

Probation officers or pegawai akhlak working in Social Welfare Department of Malaysia are among the most significant authority figures in juvenile offender’s life going through a criminal process. This implies that their voice and opinion is an important part of assessment process when it comes to delivering intervention measures for the juvenile offenders. The Malaysian government has already called for the implementation of restorative justice within its juvenile justice and this means that obtaining the probation officers’ feedback on this would be pivotal which is this study’s aim. Twelve probation officers working in several states in Malaysia were interviewed by phone and asked with their readiness and perception on three main components of restorative justice which included a dialogue/meet-up between an offender and his or her victim, apology/forgiveness, and reparation of harm. The responses showed a trend of acceptance but with a degree of wariness when it comes to reparation of harm which was seen material by the respondents. In addition, the probation officers also emphasized on the feasibility of restorative justice programmes on only certain types of crime. These probation officers’ thoughts on restorative justice and the implication on the possible implementation will be discussed further

Daya Tahan (Resilience) Keluarga Pesakit Kecederaan Otak Traumatik (KOT) Bagi Menangani Isu Biopsikososial

Kecederaan otak traumatik (KOT) merupakan antara masalah kesihatan yang menyebabkan berlakunya peningkatan terhadap kecacatan secara akut. KOT kerap berlaku kepada golongan belia dalam lingkungan umur 15 hingga 24 tahun, orang tua yang berusia 65 tahun ke atas dan kanak-kanak pada usia lima tahun ke bawah. Isu KOT menunjukkan kesan yang ketara, bukan sahaja kepada pesakit tetapi juga kepada ahli keluarga. Pesakit KOT akan bergantung kepada keluarga untuk menjaga dan menguruskan keperluan harian mereka. Peranan penjagaan terhadap pesakit KOT adalah mencabar sehingga mengganggu kesejahteraan kehidupan keluarga. Bersandarkan kajian literatur, kertas kerja ini akan meneliti isu biopsikososial keluarga pesakit KOT, sekaligus mengemukakan penerapan daya tahan yang dapat mengurangkan ketegangan yang dihadapi oleh keluarga. Berdasarkan kajian literatur, isu biopsikososial adalah kesan yang timbul di sepanjang tempoh keluarga menjaga pesakit KOT sama ada dari sudut biologikal, psikologikal dan sosial. Berhadapan dengan isu biopsikososial yang membimbangkan, penerapan daya tahan seperti sokongan sosial keluarga serta sumbangan daripada komuniti dan perkhidmatan profesional merupakan evolusi positif bagi membantu keluarga pesakit KOT bangkit semula daripada situasi krisis yang dialami. Kata Kunci: Daya Tahan (resilience), Keluarga Pesakit Kecederaan Otak Traumatik (KOT), Biopsikososia

Permasalahan dan Kesiapsiagaan Sukarelawan Bencana Membantu Mangsa Bencana Alam

Kertas konsep ini membincangkan tentang permasalahan sukarelawan bencana dalam usaha meningkatkan kesiapsiagaan sukarelawan semasa proses membantu mangsa bencana alam. Bencana adalah kejadian yang boleh menyebabkan kemusnahan harta benda dan nyawa sehingga membataskan kemampuan dan kesejahteraan individu atau masyarakat. Hampir setiap tahun bencana alam seperti tanah runtuh, tsunami, banjir dan ribut taufan berlaku. Antara negara yang terjejas disebabkan oleh bencana alam ialah negara Jepun, Indonesia, Thailand dan Malaysia. Sukarelawan adalah kumpulan yang menguruskan bantuan kemanusian kepada mangsa bencana. Kajian lepas berkaitan bencana lebih memfokuskan kesan yang dialami oleh mangsa bencana. Walau bagaimanapun, tugas sebagai sukarelawan bencana turut terkesan dari aspek gangguan emosi, mental dan kecederaan fizikal. Selain itu, kesan yang dialami oleh sukarelawan juga boleh mendorong kepada ketidaksediaan sukarelawan semasa proses pengurusan bantuan bencana. Kesediaan pula merupakan elemen utama dalam membantu mempersiapsediakan diri sukaelawan. Oleh itu, adalah penting permasalahan sukarelawan bencana dikenalpasti bagi membantu meningkatkan kesiapsiagaan sukarelawan serta meningkatkan keberkesanan sepanjang proses bantuan diberikan kepada mangsa bencana

Pengalaman wanita yang hidup dengan AIDS: Peranan dan cabaran pekerja sosial

HIV/AIDS sering dikaitkan dengan aktiviti tidak bermoral yang menjadi punca jangkitan seterusnya menyebabkan epidemik ini masih mendapat stigma dalam kalangan masyarakat umum. Namun, bagi mereka yang menjadi mangsa keadaan, kesan dan tekanan yang dihadapi disebabkan jangkitan AIDS menyebabkan kehidupan harian mereka turut berubah. Kajian yang dilakukan ini bertujuan menerokai pengalaman yang dilalui oleh wanita yang menghidap AIDS, keperluan mereka dari segi emosi dan harapan terhadap bentuk sokongan yang diberikan terutama penglibatan pekerja sosial. Kajian yang dilakukan di negeri Kedah ini melibatkan tujuh orang wanita yang menghidap AIDS sebagai subjek kajian. Pengumpulan data menggunakan kaedah temubual seterusnya dianalisis melalui kaedah kualitatif. Hasil kajian mendapati empat isu yang di beri perhatian oleh subjek adalah 1)stigma dan diskriminasi, 2)teknik daya tindak yang dilakukan apabila disahkan menghidap AIDS, 3) peranan pekerja sosial dan 4)kesedaran dalam kalangan masyarakat tentang HIV/AIDS. Hasil dari kajian ini juga mengemukakan cadangan terutama berkaitan peranan pekerja sosial dalam usaha membantu dan memberikan sokongan kepada mereka yang hidup dengan AIDS. Namun, terdapat cabaran tertentu dalam kalangan pekerja sosial sendiri yang mengendalikan kes penghidap HIV/AIDS disebabkan epidemik ini masih dikaitkan dengan stigma, malah stigma masih menjadi isu utama di setiap pelosok dunia