MODEL FOR PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN MALAYSIA: STRUCTURE, PRINCIPLES AND IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS (CRIMINOLOGICAL ANALYSIS)

Abstract

The article provides a criminological analysis of Malaysia’s model for preventing domestic violence against women and adolescent girls. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that domestic violence is not merely a private family conflict but a persistent socio-criminological phenomenon associated with the victimization of women, violations of children’s rights, risks of repeated violence, underreporting and the intergenerational transmission of violent behavior patterns. Malaysia’s experience is of interest because it combines criminal-law, family-law, social, medical and preventive mechanisms, including legislation, crisis centres, a 24-hour helpline, protection orders, social welfare services and specialized procedures for responding to domestic violence cases.

The purpose of the article is to identify the structure, principles and implementation mechanisms of the Malaysian model for preventing domestic violence against women and adolescent girls and to determine its criminological potential for further comparative analysis. The study uses formal-legal, comparative-legal, systemic, victimological and criminological methods. Malaysian legislation, materials from government agencies, CEDAW documents, and scientific studies on the work of One Stop Crisis Centres were analyzed.

The article concludes that the Malaysian model of domestic violence prevention is multi-level: it includes primary prevention through education and transformation of social norms, secondary prevention through early detection and emergency protection of victims, and tertiary prevention through support, rehabilitation and control of repeated victimization. Its strengths include interagency cooperation, a combination of criminal-law and social protection, accessibility of initial reporting, integration of medical and psychological assistance and special protection measures for children and adolescents. At the same time, the model still faces challenges related to underreporting, territorial accessibility of services, digital forms of violence and the need for sustainable evaluation of the effectiveness of measures taken.

Keywords: domestic violence, women, adolescent girls, Malaysia, criminological analysis, victimology, crime prevention, protection order, crisis centre, social protection