Come Home, Child: A Bright Future Awaits You!

Yogyakarta - Topics concerning juvenile delinquency and violence involving teenagers have once again dominated conversations in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) in recent weeks. Concerns over ‘delinquency’ frequently arise in daily conversations when people meet and gather, whether at watchtowers, angkringan stalls, coffee shops, or other places. Despite different intentions, no prior arrangements, and unknown attendees, discussions almost always centre around recent cases of youth violence. It is unsurprising that this issue has become a top priority. Every individual, particularly parents of teenagers, feels anxious and worried about this phenomenon. The behaviour of some teenagers is seen as exceeding reasonable limits for their age. It is unthinkable that teenagers are committing acts of violence against peers, resulting in fatalities. Two senior high school students from Bambanglipuro in Bantul Regency and Yogyakarta City have lost their futures within a short timeframe. A student in Bantul died after being assaulted by a group of teenagers. Meanwhile, a Yogyakarta City student was killed in a stabbing incident in Kotabaru. Unsurprisingly, anger and concern have emerged within the community, especially among parents of teenagers. There is fear that their children could become victims, while others worry their own children might be drawn into violent cycles. With varying viewpoints, some members of the public have proposed measures to deter perpetrators, including severe punishments regardless of age, inclusion on blacklists preventing them from obtaining Police Clearance Certificates (SKCK), and military-style character education. Indeed, such extreme cases of juvenile delinquency are not new to Yogyakarta. The term ‘klitih’ has been familiar to the community for over a decade. ‘Klitih’ refers to groups of teenagers roaming the city or specific areas at night to randomly target victims. In some cases, perpetrators attack with bladed weapons, leading to minor injuries, serious wounds, or death. Aside from ‘klitih’, street violence among teenagers is often triggered by school-based gangs comprising current or former students. Police authorities revealed that the incidents in Bantul Regency and Yogyakarta City were also sparked by school gang activities. Bantul Police stated the incident began when a student in Bambanglipuro was picked up by teenagers at home at night. The victim was accused of being a member of a school gang, leading to a beating that caused severe injuries and death. Similarly, a vocational high school student’s death in Yogyakarta City was linked to a pre-dawn fight. Yogyakarta City Police stated the Kotabaru violence was triggered by intelligence about a planned brawl.