Taking Care of Indonesian Children

KOMPAS/KRISTI DWI UTAMI

Children and female police Tegal Kota Police carry posters containing the guidance of children in the campaign against violence against children, Thursday (07/23/2020) in the City of Tegal, Central Java.

Every July 23, this nation celebrates National Children\'s Day. The next generation is still suffering from many problems, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For several days, starting Monday (20/7/2020), this daily newspaper reported that there was still much violence affecting children in this country. According to data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), in 2019 there were 4,369 cases of violence against children, some cases of sexual violence, and some of them were committed by people closest to the child. The number of child abuse cases last year was lower than in 2018, when the number was 4,885. In 2017, no less than 4,579 cases of violence against children were recorded.

Also read : Protect the Future Generations from Early On

The Women\'s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry added that as of July 14, there had been 736 cases of violence against children in the family this year. Most of them were committed by parents. In fact, the family should be the safest place for children. When the family cannot be a shelter, the abused children seek protection from social media, and some others share experiences with friends or hurt themselves (Kompas, 20/7/2020).

The problems plaguing children in this country are not only limited to violence, even though the constitution guarantees that all Indonesian citizens must be free from violence and acts of discrimination. Children from poor families suffer other problems. For example, they cannot complete the nine years of basic education, and some are even forced to work. The Covid-19 pandemic has made children suffer even more.

Also read : Child Psychology Affected During Outbreak

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

A child takes a dip after school on Tuesday (14/7/2020) in the muddy waters off the fishing village of Muara Angke in North Jakarta. The nearby beach and seas, which have become polluted from household waste, is a den of diseases that can endanger the health of the children who play there.

They are the first victims when their parents lose income. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government imposed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), including schooling from home online. Not all students can follow that policy. Not only students in disadvantaged regions, but also some children in urban areas cannot do distance learning. They do not have access to the internet, do not have the infrastructure or do not have the funds to buy an internet data package.

Some Indonesian children faced difficult situations even before the pandemic. The number may not be the majority of the entire future generation of this country. However, they are Indonesian children, meaning that all other Indonesian citizens have the obligation to help. These children are our future, the nation\'s future.

Also read : Protect Our Children

Law No. 35/2014 on child protection stipulates that anyone under 18 years old is a child. Based on data from the Home Ministry, the country\'s population as of the first half of 2020 was no less than 268.58 million. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) counts the number of children at around 30.1 percent of the population, or 80.84 million.

Family is the first place for child protection. On the other hand, it is impossible for the government to take care of all abandoned children, or poor families. We as a nation must jointly protect the children of this nation, starting from protecting the less fortunate children around us.