Seven development agendas have been established in compliance with Presidential Regulation Number 18 of 2020 about the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2022–2024. The Indonesian government is particularly concerned about the rising number of child sexual assault cases each year. Finding out how the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection contributes to reducing the number of child sexual abuse cases in Indonesia is the aim of this study. A qualitative approach utilizing a literature study methodology is the research methodology employed. According to the study's findings, one of the most crucial issues and a top goal of Indonesian government policy is protecting children from sexual abuse, KPPPA acts as a Prevelence of Violence Against Children (KtA) by conducting training on national strategies for eliminating sexual violence against children, building a Child Friendly Regency / City Program (KLA). In addition, KPPPA collaborates with local governments, educational institutions, communities, and other stakeholders to create a safer environment for children. However, several challenges remain, including limited public awareness, differences in regional capacity, underreporting of cases, and the need for stronger coordination among institutions. Therefore, optimizing prevention programs, improving institutional capacity, and strengthening collaborative efforts are necessary steps to reduce child sexual abuse cases and ensure comprehensive child protection in Indonesia.
Interest in gender norms is rising within the field of global health and among its funders. With more resources available for norms change work, international institutions seek to develop thoughtful strategic and programmatic responses to a variety of issues, including violence against children. Yet changing deeply rooted gender norms requires sensitivity to local context. This can present a challenge for mid- to large sized organisations, as well as funders, who are typically required to develop strategies that encompass multiple contexts. This paper presents practical lessons learned from a mapping study of UNICEF's existing work to change discriminatory gender norms. As the world's leading children's rights organisation, preventing violence against children (0-9) and adolescents (ages 10-19) is a key component of UNICEF's work. This mapping formed the foundation of the institution's efforts to build out a coordinated strategy and programme of work around 'positive gender socialisation.' The mapping was unique in that it accounted for differences across and within regions and sought to develop an institutional programme of work based on local experience and existing priorities. The lessons learned are relevant to other organisations and practice-oriented research programmes embarking on work to change norms that lead to violence against children.
Tara Patricia Cookson, Lorena Fuentes, Abha Saxena et al.
La victimización infantil y adolescente es un importante problema social, tanto por su alcance como por sus graves efectos en el desarrollo y el gasto público que requiere para su reparación. Este artículo expone la importancia de trabajar desde la victimología del desarrollo, cuyo objetivo es facilitar la toma de decisiones y ofrecer evidencias robustas sobre las que basar el diseño de las políticas públicas en el ámbito de la violencia contra la infancia y la adolescencia. Sin embargo, la aplicación de los resultados de la investigación en esta área de estudio tan relevante como descuidada sigue siendo un reto en España. Quedan aún por resolver problemas éticos y dilemas que permitan garantizar que los derechos de los niños y niñas siempre sean respetados en la investigación y, al mismo tiempo, se proteja su interés superior.
Sexual violence against children is an urgent issue that has become a global concern, including in Indonesia. Although the Indonesian government has issued various policies and regulations to address this issue, implementing the policies and regulations still faces significant obstacles. These include the establishment of a Regional Technical Service Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA), training programs for relevant institutions, and educational campaigns for the prevention of sexual violence against children. However, the prevalence of sexual violence against children remains alarmingly high, with over 11,000 cases reported in 2022. The main factors contributing to the high rate of child sexual abuse are weak law enforcement, lack of coordination between institutions, and cultural barriers that hinder understanding and education about child protection. Additionally, resistance to implementing the Child Protection Law highlights the gap between policy formulation and practical law enforcement. In order to minimize the incidence of sexual violence against children, this study emphasizes the necessity of greater collaboration among the society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and the government. The research further highlights the need to raise awareness of the significance of children's rights and sexual violence prevention. Key recommendations include strengthening the implementation of the policies and regulations, improving law enforcement, and enhancing the capacity of law enforcement institutions in order for child protection policies to be implemented more effectively and efficiently.
Maria Gabriela Samuel, Maureen Keisha Yolanda, Ariawan Gunadi
Abstract Purpose Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) tend to concurrently affect families and share a number of risk factors. Parenting programs are an evidence-based strategy for addressing VAC, and potentially a non-stigmatizing means of curbing VAW through teaching conflict transformation skills and emphasizing co-parenting. This study explored how the Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) for Parents and Teens program could be adapted to incorporate an explicit effort to prevent violence against women, including, necessarily, engaging fathers in the Zimbabwean context. Methods Participants were recruited from Mazowe, Zimbabwe, and included 20 mothers and teens who had previously completed the PLH program, as well as four people who had facilitated it; and 10 mothers, 10 fathers and 10 teens who had no PLH experience. Data were collected during COVID-19 lockdowns, and thus individual interviews with the facilitators were conducted on Zoom and focus group discussions with the other participants were conducted via WhatsApp. Results There was enthusiasm for such a program, with fathers emphasizing a desire to acquire better relationship skills and mothers emphasizing the need for income generation. Findings also pointed to the importance of taking a gender-transformative approach and purposely focusing on engaging fathers during recruitment and program sessions. Conclusion This study’s recommendations contribute to the broader effort to prevent VAW and VAC concurrently, offering a comprehensive strategy for creating safer and more resilient family environments.
Serang City has experienced a continuous increase in reported cases of child violence since 2019. In response, Regional Regulation (Perda) No. 7 of 2013 concerning the Protection of Women and Children was enacted to establish specific policy measures addressing violence against children within the region. To strengthen the implementation of this regulation, the Serang City Government introduced the Integrated Community-Based Child Protection (PATBM) program. Despite the existence of this initiative, the city has continued to record a steady rise in child violence cases over the past five years. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the PATBM program in addressing child violence in Serang City. Employing a quantitative research approach, the findings indicate that the PATBM program demonstrates a relatively high level of effectiveness, with an average achievement rate of 80%. However, the implementation of the program remains suboptimal. This is primarily due to limited competency among PATBM activists, indicating the need for further capacity-building and training. In addition, community participation in the program remains relatively low, which further constrains its overall effectiveness. Keywords: Program effectiveness; Child protection; Violence against children; PATBM program
When violence against a child is reported to authorities, it is crucial that its severity is communicated effectively and evaluated accurately by professionals. This study, conducted in two phases, investigated perceptual differences in calibration and accuracy regarding psychological and physical violence against children among parents, social workers, and laypeople. In Phase 1, parents who had witnessed violence against their children, committed by a current or former partner, provided first-person narratives describing these events and rated the severity of the violence. In Phase 2, social workers and a control group (laypeople) read these narratives and rated the severity of the violence. Previous research on intimate partner violence suggests that recipients often underestimate the severity of psychological violence and overestimate that of physical violence. We hypothesized that this pattern would also apply for the control group, whereas social workers, due to their professional experience, would show smaller discrepancies compared to the parents. The results partially supported our hypotheses. The control group overestimated the severity of physical violence but did not significantly underestimate that of psychological violence. Unexpectedly, social workers overestimated the severity of psychological violence, resulting in larger perceptual discrepancies than the control group, contrary to the hypothesis. They also overestimated the severity of physical violence, but their ratings did not differ significantly from the control group. These findings suggest that professional experience does not necessarily reduce perceptual biases in assessing violence severity and may, in some cases, amplify them. This study highlights the complexities professionals face in evaluating violence against children and the need for further research, particularly considering potential influences such as desensitization, cognitive biases, and cultural factors.
Mats Dahl, Leonard Suppatt Ngaosuvan, Jessika Granberg Flintberg et al.
Sexual violence against children and adolescents is considered a serious public health problem. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk indicators associated with child and adolescent sexual abuse. The research included all cases of sexual abuse against children and adolescents that occurred in the city of Recife and were archived from 2015 to 2019 in the high court of the state of Pernambuco. Data on crimes against sexual dignity were extracted from the electronic system used by the Pernambuco court called Judwin. A total of 226 cases were examined following approval by the Local Ethics Committee. This study obtained two hundred and twenty-six cases, and the analysis showed that the most common sexual crime committed against minors was child rape. In 84.1% of the studied cases, the aggressor was from the same social circle as the victim, who was mostly female (71.7%). The geographic distribution of crime scenes showed that sexual crimes were more prevalent in areas of social vulnerability. As a result, 50.4% of defendants were convicted, 30.5% were acquitted of the charges, and in 14.6% of cases, the punishment was waived. The limitation period elapsed in 13.9% of cases. The main risk factors associated with the victim were being a child and female, while for the aggressor, the primary indicators were being a male adult and having social contact with the victim.
Thaíse Urbano Caldas, DOURADO, Ana Claudia de Amorim Gomes, Marcus Vítor Diniz de Carvalho et al.
The article analyzes certain problematic aspects of distinguishing sexual violence against children, the liability for the commission of which should arise according to Parts 3-6 of article 152 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter - the Criminal Code) from the corruption of minors. It is noted that if a child has reached the age of sixteen, then he acquires the status of a bearer of sexual freedom, and therefore has the right to choose his own sexual partner, as well as methods of sexual communication with him, and there can be no question of any kind of depravity of minors, in the context of Article 156 of the Criminal Code. The only thing that matters is the fact that a child of that age voluntarily consents to sexual intercourse with a partner. It was found that the courts continue the practice of qualifying cases of sexual violence against children who have not reached the age of fourteen, which was accompanied by indecent touching of the genitals of the victims, as physical abuse of minors under Article 156 of the Criminal Code, and not under Part 3-6 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code, as it must be carried out in accordance with the current criminal legislation. It was concluded that any touching of intimate parts of the body of minor victims, regardless of the presence of voluntary consent to such actions on their part, should be qualified only as sexual violence against children according to the relevant part of Article 153 of the Criminal Code. Whereas lewd acts, according to the disposition of Article 156 of the Criminal Code, should be considered acts that do not contain signs of sexual violence, in the context of part 1 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code. It is suggested that one of the ways to solve the problem of distinguishing sexual violence against children (parts 3-6 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code) from such a form of manifestation of the depravity of minors (Article 156 of the Criminal Code), as physical rape, may be to clarify the disposition of Article 156 of the Criminal Code, namely, the presentation of part 1 of it in the following form: “1. Committing, in the absence of signs of sexual violence, lewd acts against a person who has not reached the age of sixteen,...”.
Children are the age group that needs guidance and teaching from adults. Furthermore, the growth and development of children must be protected from aspects of violence, especially "child predators", because children are a nation's asset towards progress and prosperity. This study aims to analyze the strategy for protecting violence against children through the Aisyiyah Cinta Anak (GACA) movement in Makassar City. This research is a qualitative research that aims to produce more powerful and in-depth data that can be obtained at the research location (field). This research was conducted in Mamajang District, Makassar. The results of the research are expected to find formulations of strategic concepts that can be implemented by Aisyiyah in protecting children from violence. The government provides the widest possible opportunity for the community to play a role in realizing child protection. The government continues to encourage the formation of community-based Integrated Child Protection in all regions, including Makassar City.
