Deputy Religious Affairs Minister: Cross-Sector Task Force Strengthens Handling of Child Bullying

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Romo Muhammad Syafi’i has affirmed that the government is strengthening efforts to prevent and handle bullying against children through cross-ministerial and institutional collaboration. The move is being carried out within the framework of the National Movement for Safe and Comfortable Spaces for Children (Gernas RANA), under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK).

According to the Deputy Minister, the government has formed a Task Force (Satgas) for handling bullying involving various ministries and agencies. This task force was established to ensure children have a safe and comfortable environment, whether at home, school, public spaces, or in the digital realm.

“Yesterday we agreed to jointly demonstrate what is meant by a safe and comfortable space for children. First at home, at school, in public places, and in the digital space. Because in these four places, our children, who are our hope, are vulnerable to bullying, so there must be a joint effort to create a safe and comfortable space,” said the Deputy Minister on Thursday (16/7).

He explained that the Task Force does not only focus on handling cases that have already occurred but also implements preventive measures. One such measure is providing regular education to managers of religious educational institutions so they can create a learning environment free from bullying.

In addition, the government is also preparing psychological assistance for children who have become victims. This effort is expected to help restore their mental condition so they can continue to grow and develop optimally.

The Deputy Minister added that the protection of victims and witnesses who have been reluctant to report is also a government concern. To this end, the Task Force is cooperating with the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) so that reporters receive security guarantees.

“For those who have been victims but are afraid to speak up, this Task Force has also cooperated with LPSK. Later, the victim or reporting witness will be protected by LPSK so they can reveal all the events they experienced, so that at the very least, the incident ends with them and does not happen to others,” he concluded.