Perspectives on the Role of Community Empowerment by Lay judges in Juvenile and Family Courts that Affect the Effectiveness of Juvenile Offender Rehabilitation: A Case Study of Phang Nga Province
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Abstract
The objectives of this quantitative research are two-fold. Firstly, it aims to study the opinion rating of community roles and empowerment for the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders at the Phang Nga Juvenile and Family Court. Secondly, it examines the effects of community roles and empowerment on the effectiveness of juvenile offender rehabilitation at the Phang Nga Juvenile and Family Court. This study collected data from 33 respondents including 18 lay judges, and 15 staff. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.
Research findings revealed that: 1) the respondents' opinions regarding the roles of lay judges, community empowerment, and the effectiveness of juvenile rehabilitation were all at the highest level across all three dimensions, with mean scores of 4.30, 4.28, and 4.35 respectively. 2) community empowerment was significantly correlated with the effectiveness of juvenile rehabilitation at the .05 level (r = 0.572), showing a moderate relationship. Community empowerment accounted for 33.7% of the variance in juvenile rehabilitation effectiveness. The key factor promoting community empowerment by lay judges was the establishment of collaborative networks with various organizations, while the main obstacle to community empowerment efforts was the lack of budget and resources to support program implementation.
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