Sexual violence perpetrated against 15 female students by a caretaker at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Batang, Central Java (Kompas, 12/4/2023), brings to mind a similar incident in 2021 that affected 13 female students in Bandung municipality, West Java. Similar incidents continue to occur in schools, mostly boarding schools.
A 2021 report from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) recorded 18 cases of school sexual violence. In 2022, incidents of sexual violence were reported at 17 schools.
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According to 2023 data from the Banten office of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), five incidents of sexual violence have occurred at boarding schools in the province alone (Kompas.id, 8/3). The number of reported cases is only the tip of the iceberg. Many cases are actually unresolved because the victims choose to remain silent for various reasons.
Schools, which are supposed to be safe and comfortable spaces for children to learn and develop their abilities, have turned into unsafe places. It is ironic that schools have become places that disrupt students’ development, even failing to help them reach their full potential in life.
The government, through the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, said the country was facing a crisis of childhood sexual violence. The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry also stressed that school sexual violence was one of the three “major sins” in education that must be urgently addressed, as it threatened the future of the children as well as the nation.
From the regulatory perspective, the government has already done much to prevent school sexual violence. These efforts include the Child Protection Act, a presidential regulation (Perpres) on national strategy for eradicating violence against children, which was passed ahead of Children’s Day in 2022, the education ministry’s regulation on the prevention and control of acts of violence at schools, as well as the religious affairs ministry’s regulation on the prevention and handling of sexual violence in schools that fall under the ministry.
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However, these regulations of course have a limited impact if the relevant parties do not create an educational environment that is safe, comfortable and free of sexual violence. The reoccurrence of school sexual violence should serve as a serious warning to all parties to cooperate and overcome this issue. The key lies in planning a strategy to prevent sexual violence in schools, as well as in the commitment and responsibility of each party to mainstream child protection.
This is especially important for school environments. Educational practices that place teachers in a position of dominance must be changed, as they foster a power imbalance between teachers and students. This is the root of the problem of school sexual violence. Teachers play an important role in building positive cultures in schools, which must respect children and fulfill their rights.
This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.
