Child Violence Emergency

Although the inherent duties of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) do not primarily concern child or youth empowerment, as a people’s representative, the author frequently receives complaints regarding acts of violence against children and adolescents. Involvement in several advocacy cases, directly or indirectly, has made the author deeply concerned about this issue. Moreover, with the increasing spread of social media, issues of violence are becoming more escalatory. There is even a trend of replicating similar actions in various regions, making the impact increasingly alarming.

Most recently, a viral video recording of the assault on a teenage girl (possibly of junior high school age) occurred in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. In the video, the bullies appear to “enjoy” the moment while slapping, punching, kicking, and then smiling. Ironically, the teenage boys merely watch—as if enjoying free entertainment. This is truly heartbreaking because it occurs in a country that upholds Pancasila, where just and civilised humanity is a shared value.

Data from SIMFONI-PPA in 2024 records more than 28,000 cases of child violence in Indonesia. According to the same report, perpetrators of violence tend to be those closest to the victims, including parents, family, and the surrounding environment. This phenomenon cannot be ignored, because in addition to physical wounds—in the long term—such violence also results in psychological impacts on child victims. For example, deep trauma, anxiety, depression, aggressive behaviour (potentially becoming perpetrators in the future), or becoming extremely passive. Meanwhile, cognitive and social impacts, such as brain development disorders, decreased learning abilities, and difficulties in social interaction.

At the same time, we are heading towards Golden Indonesia 2045, a situation where Indonesia becomes a developed nation. One of the requirements, of course, is a healthy youth generation free from fear. In this context, child protection is not merely a moral obligation but also a strategic prerequisite for national development. With the increasing number of violence cases affecting children and adolescents, we can conclude that the current situation is an emergency. Therefore, interventions from all parties are needed to stop this cycle of violence.

Roots of Violence

Philosophers like Erich Fromm in The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness conclude that violence is not an innate instinct, but rather the result of social-psychological conditions that hinder human growth. Destructiveness emerges when the potential for life, creativity, and basic human needs (connectedness, identity, meaning) are obstructed, thus turning into destructive energy. From this terminology, it is clear that violence is not a natural condition, but rather the impact of imbalanced social relations.

Meanwhile, bullying, which encompasses physical, verbal, or psychological intimidation, has long-term consequences for victims. According to Dan Olweus, this behaviour is categorised as repeated aggressive actions with an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the victim. Further, the latest type of violence, sexual violence against children and adolescents, is a serious violation of human rights (HAM). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual violence as any sexual act performed without consent or through coercion.

In Indonesia, cases of sexual violence are often unreported due to social stigma, fear, and limited access to protection mechanisms. This exacerbates the condition of victims who must bear the burden of trauma without adequate support. The urgency of addressing this phenomenon cannot be separated from the framework of child protection regulated in various national and international regulations.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that every child has the right to protection from all forms of violence, exploitation, and treatment that degrades dignity. At the national level, the Child Protection Law also provides a strong legal foundation, but its implementation still faces various challenges, including weak law enforcement and lack of coordination between institutions.

From a developmental psychology perspective, adolescence is a crucial phase in the formation of identity and character. Erik Erikson refers to this stage as “identity vs role confusion”, where individuals seek to find their true selves. Exposure to bullying and sexual violence in this phase can disrupt that process, resulting in individuals experiencing identity crises, low self-esteem, and difficulties in building healthy social relationships. Thus, appropriate interventions during this period are extremely important.

Character Education

In addition to individual impacts, bullying and sexual violence also have broad social implications. An unsafe environment will hinder the creation of a conducive learning culture and lower the quality of human resources. In the long term, this can impede achieving the demographic bonus expected to drive national development. Therefore, prevention and handling efforts must be viewed as long-term investments for the nation’s progress.

A comprehensive approach is needed to address this problem. First, character education must be strengthened from an early age by instilling values of empathy, tolerance, and respect for others’ rights. As written by Thomas Lickona, effective character education involves cognitive, affective, and behavioural aspects simultaneously. Second, the role of the family as the primary and foremost environment in shaping a child’s personality must be optimised. Parents need adequate literacy regarding positive parenting patterns and early detection of signs of violence.

Third, educational institutions must become safe spaces for all learners. This can be realised