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Hybrid Cyber Governance and Child Radicalization: A Global South Perspective from Indonesia
Machya Astuti Dewi, Herlina Jayadianti, Melaty Anggraini, Yuseptia Angretnowati ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looks at how children in Indonesia become involved in violent extremism through digital platforms, encrypted messaging and online games. It draws on policy reviews, cyber-forensic evaluations and focus group discussions in Jakarta, West Java and Central Java, with state agencies and non-state actors such as Islamic organisations, pesantren, ethical hackers and community leaders. The authors describe a multi-stage pathway in which peer bullying leads to heavy screen use, which recommendation algorithms, gamified grooming and private encrypted channels then exploit. They describe Indonesia's response as a hybrid governance model with four pillars and suggest it can inform youth-oriented prevention policy.
Key points
- Children's involvement in violent extremism through digital platforms, encrypted messaging and online gaming is described as escalating in Indonesia.
- The study describes a multi-stage radicalization pipeline in which trauma from peer bullying leads to compensatory screen dependency.
- Recommendation algorithms, gamified cyber-grooming and covert recruitment in private encrypted channels are said to exploit this vulnerability.
- Indonesia's hybrid security governance model has four pillars: relational authority, formal-informal cyber coordination, family-centric psychosocial rehabilitation, and community-driven digital literacy rooted in religious moderation.
- The authors argue that Global North counter-terrorism scholarship overlooks platform-level technical architectures and psychosocial drivers such as peer victimization and isolation.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so sample sizes, methods in detail and the strength of the evidence for the pathway are not shown. The study is qualitative and does not test whether the governance model reduces radicalization among children.
Abstract
The escalating involvement of Indonesian children in violent extremism through digital platforms, encrypted messaging services, and online gaming ecosystems demands an integrated, cross-sectoral, and child-sensitive security governance approach. Mainstream counter-terrorism scholarship, largely shaped by Global North liberal paradigms, often misinterprets non-state actors' engagement as evidence of state fragility or institutional deficiency. Furthermore, existing research largely overlooks platform-level technical architectures and key psychosocial drivers, such as chronic peer victimization and extreme isolation. Addressing this critical theoretical and empirical gap, this study reconceptualizes hybrid security governance from a distinct Global South vantage point by dissecting the complex interplay among peer bullying, excessive screen time, algorithmic recommendation systems, and digital radicalization trajectories. Employing a qualitative post-positivist methodology, the investigation incorporates rigorous policy reviews, cyber-forensic evaluations, and structured focus group discussions conducted across three strategic regions: Jakarta, West Java, and Central Java. Key participants comprised relevant state apparatuses (Densus 88 AT, BNPT, BSSN, Komdigi, KPAI, and KemenPPPA) alongside vital non-state actors, including Islamic mass organizations, traditional boarding schools (pesantren), ethical hacker collectives, and local community leaders. The findings delineate a multi-stage radicalization pipeline wherein psychological trauma stemming from peer bullying induces compensatory screen dependency. Recommendation algorithms, gamified cyber-grooming tactics, and covert recruitment within private encrypted communication channels then exploit this vulnerability. In response, Indonesia demonstrates an indigenous Global South Hybrid Security Governance model with four core pillars: mobilizing relational authority, synchronizing formal-informal cyber coordination, family-centric psychosocial rehabilitation, and community-driven digital literacy initiatives rooted in religious moderation. Theoretically, this research contributes to contemporary cyber-criminology and critical security studies by challenging conventional, state-centric orthodoxies. Practically, the empirical insights offer actionable frameworks for policymakers aiming to formulate youth-oriented prevention strategies that safeguard vulnerable minors while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).