Factors inhibiting the psychological recovery process of children in conflict with the law

Psychological assistance is strongly needed in relation to the recovery of the psychological state of children who are in conflict with the law. Semarang City has developed a school-based restorative justice program as a response to such needs. This research aims to explore the factors which could potentially obstruct the psychological recovery process of these children during the implementation of the program. The study adopts a qualitative design through multiple case studies, with the participation of three children and those close to them. The case study data analysis was conducted based on Yin's (2015) techniques, consisting of pattern matching, explanation building, logic models, and cross-case synthesis. The results show that negative support from peers, drug abuse, negative role models, emotional detachment from close friends and relatives, and negative stigma were the factors obstructing the recovery process of the participants. These findings could be essential for practitioners’ design of psychological interventions which are more relevant to the children’s recovery needs.