West Kalimantan child violence: KPPPA urges comprehensive psychological assessment

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) has urged comprehensive psychological assessments for children involved as perpetrators or those in conflict with the law in the premeditated child violence case in Singkawang, West Kalimantan.

‘KPPPA urged comprehensive psychological assessments to be conducted by the Regional Technical Implementation Unit for Women and Child Protection (UPTD PPA) psychologists alongside Bapas (Correctional Facility),’ said Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi in Jakarta on Friday.

The ministry has expressed serious concern over the perpetrator’s social media responses indicating a lack of remorse.

According to Arifah Fauzi, a 14-year-old should be capable of distinguishing right from wrong based on social and legal norms.

This assessment is crucial to identify possible fixation on negative emotions, such as resentment from online gaming, or pre-existing conduct disorders or persistent emotional issues.

This step will also form the basis for determining specific clinical interventions during the perpetrator’s legal proceedings to prevent future recidivism.

Psychologically, highly aggressive acts such as harming others or animals are typically caused by environmental factors, including dysfunctional home environments (chaos), inconsistent or overly permissive parenting, and neurobiological conditions such as co-occurring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

The case, suspected to have originated from digital gaming, involves a 12-year-old child as the victim of violence and a 14-year-old as the perpetrator or child in conflict with the law (AKH).