Dare to Report If Violence Against Children Occurs

By Marsya Indri Yani.          

This article is my experience participating the activity of the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Lampung about ‘Anti Violence Against Children and Women’ at the Kutosari, a branch of GKSBS Batanghari (29/10/2022). I am Marsya Indri Yani from North Lampung and currently live in Pondok Diakonia. Besides multiplicator of Stube HEMAT in Lampung, Rev. Theofilus Agus Rohadi, S.Th. and young people from Pondok Diakonia and other church members, from Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta, Rev. Bambang Sumbodo (board in charge Stube HEMAT) and Ariani Narwastujati, S.Pd., S.S., M.Pd. (Executive Director of Stube HEMAT) atended the training.

The material on Legal Advocacy Against Violence was delivered by Martin Tri Widodo, S.H., from LBH Rakyat, East Lampung regency. He explained that children are a mandate as well as a gift from God, to which dignity and rights as human beings are attached and must be promoted. Children are an inseparable part of human survival, as the next generation of a nation and state, including the continuity of the church to spread kindness and good news. So, every child has right to get the broadest opportunity as possible as she/he can, to grow and to develop physically, mentally, and socially. For this reason, maximum efforts to protect children are needed. The rapid flow of globalization and the development of information and communication technology has led to a new phenomenon, namely sexual violence against children. Sexual violence against children is a serious crime and the number of cases has increased significantly, which threatens and endangers the child's life and damages the personal life and development of the child.

There are basic principles in protecting children, including (a) non-discrimination, respecting differences or not discriminating based on religion, race, ethnicity, ethnicity, skin color, social status, ideology, and so on, (b) priority to the best interests of the child, (c) the right to life, survival and development, and (d) respect for children. The resource person reminded the participants that the responsibility to protect and guarantee the protection of children from violence is not only for parents but also the state and society. So, what to do if there is violence against children? The incident must be reported to the authorities and those who have the right to report are the child or victim, the parents of the victim, the guardian of the victim, and the public who saw or knew the violence against children. However, we cannot report incidents of violence carelessly, as there are several conditions to report the perpetrators, those who are proven to have committed violence against children, those who order others to commit violence against children, those who participate in violence against children, and those who allow violence against children.

Talking about children who experience violence, there are children's inherent rights,  to be treated humanely, and to be placed separately from adults, to get legal assistance or to be accompanied by an advocate or legal adviser, to defend themselves, and to obtain justice before an objective Juvenile Court and to be closed to the public. The resource person reminded that there is a prohibition but it often happens and we don't even realize to do it, such as, (a) Discriminatory Treatment, discriminating against ethnicity, religion, race, class, gender, ethnicity, culture or language, child's birth order, child's legal status, physical condition, and mental condition of the child; (b) Exploitation, using or extorting children for personal, family, or group benefits; (c) Treatment of neglect, deliberately ignoring the obligation to take care of the child properly; (d) Cruel treatment, committing heinous, cruel acts, not showing mercy to children; (e) Treatment of Violence and Abuse, injuring a child, both physically, as well as mentally, and socially; (f) Unjust treatment, in favor of one child against another, or arbitrary towards children.

One participant asked, “What should people do when they saw violence or experienced violence, but witnesses and victims were afraid to report it because they received threats from the perpetrators?” Martin answered that people should not be afraid to report because they are protected by law, and the perpetrators will receive additional punishment because of threats, so people do not need to be afraid anymore to report.

The session enlightened the participants and provided them with the tools to appreciate children's lives, and know how to act if they find incidents of violence against children, or have experienced of act abuse themselves. Let's protect young people as the next generation of nation and church! ***