KPAI presses for Child Care Bill's passage to combat child grooming

KPAI Deputy Chairperson Jasra Putra said in Jakarta on Wednesday that a regulation is needed to standardise the conduct of all adults working with children, including teachers, coaches and caregivers, to prevent offenders from moving between jobs with a clean track record.

He noted that the law would provide proper parenting guidelines to ensure parents are not easily deceived by the economic motives of perpetrators.

Addressing a case of a teacher in Sukabumi, West Java, who created social media content showing romantic interactions with female students, KPAI described the case as just the tip of the iceberg.

“Behind content that may seem like a joke, there is a systematic criminal pattern that manipulates the vulnerabilities of children and their families,” he said.

In this regard, Putra urged the government and law enforcement agencies to take firm action against child grooming.

“KPAI views this case as an entry gate to uncover child grooming practices that are becoming increasingly advanced and manipulative. I believe we must be firm in addressing this phenomenon,” he added.

He noted that groomers often study their victims first, using social media or observing them in person. They mostly target families who are economically or psychologically vulnerable.

“There are some who take advantage of conflicts between children and their families, as well as parents’ shortcomings. Their goal is to create a sense of dependency and a debt of gratitude,” he said.

The KPAI deputy chairperson further said that groomers often hide behind respectable roles like teaching or religious leadership, using their positions to manipulate children.

Earlier, social media content went viral involving a state elementary school teacher in Sukabumi who is suspected of grooming his students.

In response, the Sukabumi Education Office is currently investigating the motives behind the teacher’s actions to determine whether his actions constitute child grooming.