Maretha Uli, Jakarta – The alarming rise in child abuse in Indonesia, often at the hands of familiar persons such as family members or neighbors, has underscored the state's failure to guarantee the right of children to safe and protective care.
The Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry's online information system (SIMFONI-PPA) reported persistently high abuse rates as of Friday, with at least 10,203 cases recorded since January, already more than half of the 2024 total of 19,628. Abuse figures have continued to rise steadily over the past five years.
More than half of the cases took place at home, with perpetrators, mostly men, often being those closest to the victims, including relatives or family members, neighbors, parents and partners.
The abuse ranged from physical, psychological and sexual violence to neglect, trafficking and exploitation. Girls aged 13 or above accounted for eight out of every 10 victims, as under the country's Child Protection Law, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.
Although the women's ministry does not delve into the causes behind the rise in child abuse, child rights groups have pointed to the absence of a safe, state-provided childcare system as one of the key factors.
Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) commissioner Diyah Puspitarini told The Jakarta Post on Friday that when a child's right to proper care is neglected, they become highly vulnerable to abuse, even without their parents realizing it.
The government has been subsequently urged to step in by expanding access to affordable, community-based childcare centers and launching large-scale parenting education programs, among other initiatives.
"Not every family has access to reliable childcare, even though it has become a basic need," Diyah said, "It has to be made more available. Ideally, the government should provide accessible community-based daycare centers".
Tata Sudrajat, deputy program lead at Save the Children Indonesia, said neglect is especially dangerous in low-income households.
"As families face economic hardship, they are more likely to involve children in labor, including sexual exploitation. Children also become more vulnerable to trafficking," he told the Post on Friday.
While parenting is a private matter, Tata said the government could still play a mediating role by strengthening parental capacity across Indonesia's 90 million households.
"The state must provide standardized support programs, building on existing ones such as fatherhood training, parenting consultations and financial assistance," he continued.
The call for accessible and affordable childcare was echoed by Nisa, 29, a mother from South Tangerang, Banten, who currently relies on a "trusted" neighbor to look after her six-year-old son while she works.
To ensure his safety, Nisa said she constantly checks in through chats, video calls and photos. "When I get home, I ask him again if anything happened".
Nisa considers herself lucky to have someone she can trust, acknowledging that many parents do not have the same privilege. She also expressed concern over private childcare providers, which she said remain vulnerable to abuse due to the lack of government supervision and audits.
"If there was official oversight, we would definitely feel more confident and secure," she added.
The women's ministry did not respond to the Post's request for comment on Thursday. However, in a statement released on Wednesday, Minister Arifa Fauzi acknowledged the high child abuse rate and said the ministry is working to reduce it by expanding call center services and providing so-called "village shelters".
The programs refer to the ministry's key initiatives, Indonesia's Shared Spaces (RBI) that aims to provide safe spaces for children and women victims in villages, as well as the expansion of violence reporting and counseling SAPA 129 call center services to more areas.
The ministry's SIMFONI-PPA further revealed that West Java, Indonesia's most populous province, recorded the highest number of child abuse cases this year, with over 1,300 reported in just seven months, followed by East Java and Central Java. Many of these incidents occurred within households, reflecting what officials say is a widespread lack of public awareness around violence prevention.
Siska Gerfianti, head of West Java's Women Empowerment, Child Protection and Family Planning Agency (DP3AKB), said the high rates of domestic violence often stem from internal family factors, particularly parenting styles that fail to meet children's needs, marked by "neglect and limited parental involvement."
Other regions remain equally vulnerable. Jakarta, despite its status as one of the wealthiest provinces, still recorded hundreds of cases this year, driven by poverty, low education, permissive attitudes toward violence, limited awareness of children's rights and the enduring stigma surrounding abuse, according to the city's Women Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control Agency (DPPAPP).
Source: https://asianews.network/violence-haunts-indonesian-children-as-state-fails-to-provide-care