Jakarta – A government survey has found that parents and other relatives are the most common perpetrators of physical violence against children.

The survey, jointly produced by several institutions led by the Social Affairs Ministry, estimated that two in every five teenage boys experienced physical violence, while for teenage girls it was one in 10.

Ministry director of child welfare Edi Suharto told The Jakarta Post the findings showed that, while parents and their relatives were the closest to their children, most did not understand children's rights.

"[Most parents] still have the mind-set that their children are their private property," he said, adding that violence usually took place in families that faced economic hardship, or in cases where parents were experiencing troubles of their own. "In such situations, children are easy prey," he added.

Edi further said that this was exacerbated by the culture of some regions, which viewed that violence against children, such as corporal punishment, was necessary to teach discipline. "Parents often think that pinching and hitting children are ways of educating them so they can be good children, but this is wrong," he said.

The survey was conducted on people between 18 and 24. They were asked about the violence they had experienced before they turned 18. The survey was conducted in 25 provinces in 2013.

The study also estimated that one in 13 teenage boys experienced sexual violence, while it was less common among teenage girls, with one in 18. Most perpetrators were friends, the survey found.

"Friends are some of the closest people [to us], but the victims are clueless on how to resist the violent actions of these [kinds of] perpetrators," Edi explained.

He said sexual violence often occurred between peers due to the fact they could access pornography on the Internet and also due to the influence of wider society.

According to Edi, the effects of physical or sexual violence on victims were worrisome, as victims could become the perpetrators of the future, creating a vicious circle of violence in society.

"Based on the results of studies conducted by countries around the world, they consistently revealed that around 70 percent of victims of violence could grow into perpetrators," he said.

National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait said the government should seriously consider how to cope with violence against children, as to date no method adopted had been able to reduce the number of cases.

"Komnas PA is suggesting that the government involve society groups, such as youth clubs or Family Welfare Movement [PKK] members, in supervising every neighborhood unit or community unit. They should act as a fast response unit on violence against children," he said.

Komnas PA secretary-general Samsul Ridwan added that the next government should pay more attention to this issue as Komnas PA had seen that the trend was increasing. "Multiple killings and the mutilation of four children in Riau has shown this," he said.

The Riau Police have apprehended four members of a gang in the Siak and Bengkalis regencies, Riau province, who are believed to have murdered and mutilated seven people, mostly children. Six of the mutilations took place in 2013, with five carried out in the Bengkalis and Siak regencies. (ask)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/08/survey-shines-light-parental-abuse-kids.html