Exploring strategies to reduce adolescents’ involvement in risky behaviours from the perspective of a probation officer

Adolescence is perceived as a critical stage in human life development. The well-being of adolescents is related to the level of among others, resilience, and criminal behaviour involvement. Adolescents who are involved in the conflict with law can be charged in court and sentenced to a penalty. It is also a concern as to what shall happen to these adolescents when they come out of the system and try to integrate into society. This study explores strategies to curb further involvement in risky behaviour among adolescents who have been sentenced in the juvenile court. This research adopted a basic qualitative study using a semi-structured interview with a probation officer in a district of a central state. Based on his experience as a probation officer, he suggested several strategies that can be used to reduce adolescents’ involvement in delinquency. The findings show that family members, peers and the Department of Social Welfare can help to curb the issue of delinquency among adolescents. The findings also suggested that a few initiatives consisting of prevention, developmental and intervention programmes can be conducted to create more awareness about the adolescents’ involvement in risky behaviours. This study hopes to contribute towards a better understanding of the strategies that can be developed to reduce risky behaviours involvement among at-risk adolescents in the country.