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).