Deadly brawls scare parents, but fail to worry students
Deadly brawls scare parents, but fail to worry students
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
What was supposed to be a happy celebration for two high school
students turned into a tragic ending when one was instantly
killed and the other seriously injured in a student brawl that
started minutes after they finished their final exam.
Afrianson, 18, a student of high school SMU Pangudirahayu died
instantly after he was shot in the head, while Rizki, also 18, is
in hospital for injuries to his cheek.
They are the latest victims of escalating student brawls in
the city, with students from SMU Pangudirahayu going against
those from vocational school SMK Sudirman, both in East Jakarta,
on Thursday.
The day before, a student brawl in Tebet, South Jakarta also
claimed the life of Cahyadi, 20, a student of Sahid Jaya
University. He died from severe injuries to his head and back.
On the same day, police detained 16 students of state
vocational school SMK 5 in Kebon Sereh, East Jakarta, for
allegedly hijacking a bus plying the Pulo Gadung-Blok M route and
robbing passengers of their belongings. Police also seized dozens
of sharp weapons.
The shocking news of student brawls and other criminal acts by
teens in the media have distressed many parents, even though the
youths involved in the crimes amount to only a small percentage
of high school students.
"My heart speeds up and I fill up with tension if my son
arrives home late in the afternoon from school," said Mawaryuni,
whose son, Rofan is a student at SMU 13 in Tanjung Priok, North
Jakarta.
Mawaryuni said that her excessive worrying has led her to
constantly call her son's cell phone to find out where he is and
if he is safe.
Mawaryuni said she was still traumatized from when she was
called by police notifying her that her other son, who was
studying at vocational school SMK Vincentius in Kramat, Central
Jakarta, was taken to the hospital for injuries he received in a
student brawl.
Free from the worries that cloud most parents' minds, Rani, a
student at a vocational school in East Jakarta, was not surprised
to hear about the recent robbery and brawl committed by students,
including some of her schoolmates.
"Brawls and robberies are common. They (the students) may just
be doing it for kicks as their confidence runs high when they are
in a group," Rani said.
Most students gather on streets or at bus stops to protect
themselves from other groups.
"We don't want to die young like a friend of ours who was
beaten to death by an unidentified group of students," said Rani.
But she said that when more students join the group, it would
be easy for it to clash with other passing groups.
Meanwhile, Daniel A, the vice principal of SMK 5, denied that
criminal offenses committed by students had something to do with
the school.
Instead, Daniel put the blame on "bad elements" in the
students' neighborhoods.
"Students spend more of their time with family and society
than in school. We give the best we can to students, but we
cannot ensure that they will also get good experiences in their
neighborhood," Daniel said.
Commenting on the recent serious offenses committed by
students, an expert on education, J. Drost, said the problem was
deeply rooted in students' homes, which are supposed to be
properly educating them.
"Besides, schools must also change the way they educate
children. Good education has yet to be realized," said Drost.
He added that teachers must be competent in their field.