PEER COUNSELING TERHADAP KENAKALAN REMAJA PADA ANGGOTA KARANG TARUNA “MEKAR JAYA” DESA TRAYEMAN KECAMATAN SLAWI KABUPATEN TEGAL

Abstract

This research was motivated by the prevalence of juvenile delinquency in rural environments, such as staying up late without a clear purpose, impolite language, wild street racing, alcohol consumption, and online gambling. This study aimed to: (1) describe the level of juvenile delinquency before the implementation of peer counseling, (2) describe the level of juvenile delinquency after the implementation of peer counseling, and (3) examine the effectiveness of peer counseling in reducing juvenile delinquency among members of the “Mekar Jaya” Youth Organization in Trayeman Village, Slawi District, Tegal Regency. This study employed a quantitative experimental method with a Pre-Experimental Design using a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The research population comprised all 39 members of the “Mekar Jaya” Youth Organization. The sample consisted of 15 members selectedusing a purposive sampling technique based on the criteria of exhibiting moderate to high levels of juvenile delinquency. The intervention was delivered in 6 sessions by 3 selected peer counselors who had undergone selection and basic peer counseling training. Data were collected using a 4-point Likert scale juvenile delinquencyquestionnaire (42 valid items, Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.982) supported by observation sheets and documentation. Data analysis techniques included descriptive percentage analysis, Shapiro-Wilk normality test, and Paired Sample T-Test hypothesis testing using SPSS software. The results showed that: (1) the level of juvenile delinquency before (pre-test) receiving peer counseling was in the moderate category with an average score of 127.67 (73.3% moderate, 20% high, 6.7% low); (2) the level of juvenile delinquency after (post-test) receiving peer counselling decreased, with an average score of 111.80 (80% moderate, 13.3% low, 6.7% high); and (3) there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores with an average reduction of 15.87 points. The Paired Sample T- Test results indicated t count > t table and a significance value (Sig. 2-tailed) < 0.05, thereby accepting Ha and rejecting H0. Thus, it can be concluded that peer counseling is effective in reducing juvenile delinquency among members of the “Mekar Jaya” Youth Organization in Trayeman Village, Slawi District, Tegal Regency.