“I don’t want to do that anymore”: Motivation and Strategies to Desistance Among Juvenile Offenders in Indonesia

Desistance plays a central role in understanding and addressing criminal behaviour. Uncovering the underlying motivation for desistance from crime can contribute to reforming current social control and crime prevention policies. This study adopts a narrative-based theory and explores the motivations for desistance among juvenile offenders in Indonesia and the strategies that juvenile offenders in Indonesia plan to use to desist from crime. This qualitative study involves six juvenile offenders in three correctional institutions in Indonesia in a semi-structured interview. The results show several emerging themes regarding motivations for desistance among juvenile offenders in Indonesia, which include transformation in identity and hope, having a positive role model, avoiding negative labelling, and filial piety. In addition, several emerging themes regarding strategies for desistance include work, finding family support, and avoiding delinquent peers. Based on this result, helping young delinquents to adopt a prosocial identity is crucial in promoting desistance in crime.