Bogor City Council Involves Youth Communities in Strengthening Child Protection Bylaw
The Chair of the Special Committee (Pansus) for the Draft Regional Regulation (Raperda) on Child Protection of the Bogor City Council (DPRD), Endah Purwanti, has involved various communities and organisations working in the fields of youth and child protection. This forms part of efforts to refine the substance of the draft regulation currently under deliberation by the Bogor City Council.
The discussion was attended by representatives of the Bogor City GenRe Forum, the Bogor City GenRe Ambassador, the Bogor City Children’s Forum, the Bogor City Student Council Communication Forum, the West Java Student Council Forum, the Zilenial Bergerak community, the Peduli Bogor community, and the Bogor City KPAID Ambassador.
According to Endah Purwanti, involving children and community activists is an important part of the regulatory drafting process, as they are the ones who will directly feel the impact of the resulting policies.
“During what has been a fairly lengthy deliberation process, I felt there was one thing that needed to be completed, namely listening directly to the voices of children and the activists who deal with various children’s issues in the field every day. Their input is essential so that the regulation we draft genuinely answers real needs,” said Endah on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
She explained that deliberation of the draft regulation has now entered its final stage, having previously involved various regional agencies and related institutions, including the Regional Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAID), the Education Office, the Health Office, the Social Services Office, and the Office for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (DP3A).
“Children’s issues cannot be resolved by one sector alone. There are interconnected aspects of education, health, social protection, law, and psychological support. That is why the deliberation must involve many parties so that the resulting regulation is truly comprehensive,” she explained.
She emphasised that the draft regulation on child protection is one of the Bogor City Council’s initiative bills, drafted based on an evaluation of existing regulations. Although various rules on child protection are already in place, Endah judged that strengthening is still needed, particularly regarding special protection for children in vulnerable situations.
During the discussion forum, participants raised various issues currently faced by children and teenagers, ranging from digital violence, extortion through social media, doxing, and domestic violence against children, to bullying, mental health problems, and the exploitation of children in digital spaces.
In addition, a number of strategic proposals emerged, one of which concerned the need for a dedicated child protection hotline separate from general complaint services, so that case handling can be faster, more focused and more responsive.
Forum participants also highlighted the continued practice of exploiting children and teenagers for certain interests, which risks disregarding children’s rights as provided for under prevailing laws and regulations.
In response to this input, Endah assured that all the aspirations expressed would be compiled and discussed further in committee meetings as material for refining the draft text.
“The results of this discussion will be brought in as official input for the committee’s deliberations. We want to make sure this child protection regulation truly arises from the real needs of Bogor’s children and is able to provide stronger protection for them,” she said.
She stressed that one of the main aspirations behind the draft is to position children not merely as objects of protection, but as subjects of development who have the right to be heard, to be involved, and to have a safe and healthy space in which to grow.
Beyond strengthening the fulfilment of children’s basic rights, such as the rights to education, health, identity and a safe environment, the draft also gives special attention to children in particular circumstances who require extra protection from the state.
Endah gave the example of children affected by certain social situations, or who risk being stigmatised because of their parents’ actions, who must still receive protection, support, and equal opportunities to develop.
“Children must not become secondary victims of social stigma arising from circumstances that are not their fault. This is where the state and regional government must step in to provide protection, support and the guarantee of a better future for them,” Endah affirmed.
Through the active involvement of children and community activists in the regulatory drafting process, the Bogor City Council hopes the child protection regulation can become a strong legal foundation for realising Bogor as a city that is increasingly child-friendly, inclusive, and committed to the best interests of every child.