Protect Children as Early as Possible

Every child has the right to survival, growth and development, and is entitled to protection from violence and discrimination.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

Clowns from the Aku Badut Indonesia clown community entertain flood-affected children during a trauma healing event at the Jami Al Umariyah Mosque evacuees center in Bintaro, South Jakarta, on Sunday (5/1/2020).

The guarantee for every Indonesian child to get the basic rights is clearly stipulated in the Law No. 35/2014 concerning child protection. The guarantee of protection for each child is also stated in the 1945 Constitution. In fact, the right to live, to grow and the right not to be tortured are human rights that cannot be reduced under any circumstances.

However, as the saying goes "jauh panggang dari api" (the reality is far from expectations), as cases of violence against children still continue. Not infrequently the cases of violence include sexual violence, which leads to death. A national survey on Children and Youth Life Experiences shows that two out of three children have experienced violence. One in 11 girls and one in 17 boys experience sexual violence (Kompas, 10/1/2020).

The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) recorded that the number of protection requests from children who had fallen victim to sexual violence in 2019 had increased, reaching 350 cases. That number is an increase by about 29 percent compared to 2018, when 271 requests were made. Until last year, there were 507 victims of sexual violence under protection, consisting of 199 women, 77 adult men, 174 girls and 57 boys (Kompas, 1/8/2020). Footage of violence against children, both those committed by fellow children and adults, often come into personal and family spaces, including through social media. Violence often brings new violence, which also affects children. This must be stopped.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko Widodo (left), accompanied by Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin, holds a limited meeting to discuss the handling of cases of violence against children at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, Thursday (9/1/2020). When opening the meeting, President Joko Widodo said there was an increase in cases of violence against children either sexually, physically, emotionally or neglect based on the Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children or the Symphony of PPA.

Cases of violence against children in this country, either sexual, psychological, physical or neglect, which have increased significantly are also a concern of President Joko Widodo. The President, in early January 2020, held a limited meeting to discuss various efforts to tackle violence against children and stated that child protection would be a priority of his administration. The President also believes the number of cases of violence against children recorded by various institutions, including the media, is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Child Protection Law defines a child as someone under the age of 18 year, including those who are still in the womb. The current population of Indonesia is no less than 265 million. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission noted that around 87 million citizens were classified as children. The number is not small and the children are the future of this nation. Violence experienced by a child will interfere with their growth and development and in turn will affect the growth and development of the nation.

We can not only rely on the President and the government to protect children and suppress violence in this country. Society must move together to protect children from the earliest possible because it means protecting the future of our nation.