Expert Says Confinement Acts Stem from Power Imbalance

The phenomenon of kidnapping and confinement incidents occurring in various regions of Indonesia in recent times has triggered public attention. From cases of confinement in Bandung and the detention of employees in Central Jakarta, to the actions of a married couple in Tasikmalaya, these incidents demonstrate a crime pattern that is unusual compared to conventional physical assault.

Forensic Psychology Expert, Reza Indragiri Amriel, explained the primary factor driving perpetrators to choose confinement instead of merely committing physical abuse or verbal threats. Generally, these extreme actions are rooted in the perpetrator’s need for control and dominance over the victim.

“The universal theory is certainly an imbalanced power relation. The weak become the targets of the strong,” said Reza when contacted on Tuesday (30/6).

He stated that confinement is not merely the physical restriction of movement. The act of cutting off communication and totally isolating the victim is assessed as being intentionally carried out by perpetrators to target the victim’s psychological state.

Through this method of isolation, perpetrators can create total dependency, induce intense fear, and break down the victim’s mental state. This allows the perpetrator’s position to become highly dominant, granting them absolute control over the victim.

Although there is a common thread of extreme power imbalance, Reza warned law enforcement agencies and the public not to generalise all occurring cases. In-depth investigations must still be conducted to uncover the specific motives of each individual event. “Each situation deserves to be examined independently so that their unique characteristics can be identified,” Reza continued.