Intervention to curb widespread student brawls, West Jakarta optimises PIK-R in schools

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The West Jakarta City Government (Pemkot Jakbar) is optimising the function of Pusat Informasi dan Konseling Remaja (PIK-R) in all senior high schools as an intervention against the rising incidence of student brawls in the area. In a prevention dialogue on brawls attended by 100 students on Tuesday, West Jakarta Mayor Iin Mutmainnah said that through PIK-R, counselling rooms will be filled by peers of the at-risk youths. The concept is seen as a space for adolescents to vent. “If this is used optimally, then children can have a peer counsellor. A peer counsellor is a friend who can counsel their friend. So if they want to vent, they do not need to go to social media, but vent to a friend who has been trained by the school’s guidance and counselling teacher,” she said. According to Iin, PIK-R is a place that nurtures a sense of togetherness and family in the school, so students do not seek negative behaviour outside school. “Prevention of brawls must start from oneself, family, and doing good from now. The target is for West Jakarta to see a decline in brawls, even zero brawls,” she concluded. Moreover, she noted that student brawls are not a new problem. Recently, the triggers for brawls have become more dynamic with the use of digital technology. “Talking about brawls, they didn’t start just now; this has existed since ancient times. But now it’s very creative and dynamic. With the advent of digital and digital communication, it is difficult to trace communications, which leads to meetings that are indeed for brawl actions,” she said. Intervention to schools through PIK-R, she said, is seen as a new space to address this phenomenon of juvenile delinquency. Meanwhile, the Head of West Jakarta Kesbangpol Office, Tumpal Matondang, said that the activity is part of the Kota’s program regarding violence against girls and children, including issues of school-age children involved in brawls. “We need to know that in 2025 there were 60 brawl incidents in West Jakarta. By 31 March 2026, already three months into 2026, there have been 30 cases of brawls among school-age children,” he said. The prevention activity is expected to reduce violent behaviour and brawls, especially among school-age children.