A study conducted by the Maldives National University (MNU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment has revealed that the most important thing to do to save the youth from crime is to find better ways to spend their free time.
The MNU team consisted of nine members involved in the study and data were collected in four ways, including data collection through questionnaires, community outreach through focus groups, data collection from the youth ministry and councils, and various international studies.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor at MNU Dr. Shehnaz Adam presented a summary of the study at the official function held at the Maldives Centre for Social Education (MCSE) to mark National Youth Day. Shehnaz said a large percentage of the study found that many important initiatives for the youth have been started and are now underway, especially in the fields of learning, employment, and sports. She said the study showed the need to reduce crime and improve the mental health of the youth and that a large percentage of the youth indicated that they were in poor mental health.
In light of the study, Shehnaz said that the most important solution identified by the participants was to increase the number of things they can do to make better use of their free time. She said these factors will also be an important change in reducing youth exposure to crime. The study also recommended further efforts to strengthen the rehabilitation treatment system in the Maldives.