Poor parenting can be one of the triggers for children to fall victim to human trafficking. Harmonious family relations are the initial fortress for prevention.
By
Kompas Team
·4 minutes read
ARSIP KOMPAS
RA(16), a child victim who was trafficked via social media in Jakarta. Photo taken on February 25, 2023.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Children who fall victim to human trafficking is not a phenomenon solely sparked by economic hardship. There are also child victims from wealthy families. Therefore, good parenting in the family is important to prevent children from falling into human trafficking.
The chairperson of the Indonesian Children Protection Commission (KPAI), Ai Maryati Sholihah, said the human trafficking in children infrequently targets wealthy families. Lately it is found that children who fall victim to the human trafficking come from families with poor parenting. “A number of wealthy victims, it turns out, receive less attention from their families. In fact, attention and good parenting in the family play an important role to prevent children from falling in trafficking. This contributes greatly as protection for children in the upstream sector,” said Ai, when met in early February 2023.
In a number of cases where the victims come from wealthy families, Ai said the initial problems started from difficult feelings at home. Feelings of inconvenience happened because parents gave less attention to the children with limits, or placed strict restrictions on their children.
According to Ai, these families must update their parenting to give more warmth and attention, and listen to what their children are feeling. Comfort must be presented and sourced from home and when children are with their parents.
"Building dialogue and giving mutual trust to children I think is important. Do not ever place children as suspects that we judge. Do not let children be fearful, looking for protection, even far outside from the family. This can be the next threat," said Ai.
ARSIP KOMPAS
A number of children who have legal problems (ABH) are praying together at the Bina Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (Bahtera) Bandung, West Java on Wednesday (18/1/2023).
Child Protection specialist of the Bina Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (Bahtera) Faisal Cakra Buana said the failure in childcare can occur when children are subject to violence from their families. Children who have received beatings, been screamed at, neglected, threatened up to being victims of sexual violence tend to have weak emotional intelligence.
Children with weak emotional intelligence will easily blame others, be suspicious, easily offended, have low fighting power and always think negatively. This vulnerability will strengthen if the violence obtained is imprinted into the child's heart. "Life problems cannot only be solved by intellectual intelligence, but also emotional intelligence. This emotional intelligence can only be obtained from love and tenderness," said Faisal.
Violence at home
On the other hand, children who are often on the receiving end of violence tend to be unstable. Children are vulnerable to behaving against norms, becoming victims of exploitation and acting out by violating the law.
The success or failure of a program run by the foundation to fight the trafficking of children, everything returns to the parents
Since 1995, the Bahtera Foundation has accompanied children in the category of children who need special protection (AMPK). This includes victims of child trafficking, commercial sex workers and children who are in conflict with the law. The foundation found almost all children admitted to have experienced violence by the family. "The success or failure of a program run by the foundation to fight the trafficking of children, everything returns to the parents," Faisal said.
Empty membrane
Airlangga University sociologist Bagong Suyanto emphasized that there was often a phenomenon of “empty membrane families”. The term is pinned to an economically established family, but where relationships in the family, including children, are dry. This situation makes children vulnerable to be exposed to bad influences from outside the home.
Things like drugs and the world of prostitution can enter easily when the family's role is absent. When exposed to this, Bagong said, children may need a different treatment approach. "It may need a psychological approach to children. However, the question is, is it possible to rely only on parents or family? Under certain conditions there are families that do not have the opportunity or motivation for their children to recover. Thus, in my opinion, besides family, community support can also play a role, for example Islamic recitation groups," he said.
Deputy for Child Protection at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Nahar, said economic problems were not the only problems that led to children falling into human trafficking.
"Frequently the problems faced by children are related to the fragility of parents in providing proper care," Nahar said. ( D I V/J O G/ F R D/ I L O )
