Researcher:

1. Dr. Akino Midhany Tahir,
2. Rizkita Mardea,
3. Adryan Sasongko,
4. Husnul Alberdi

Location: Indonesia

Boys and girls under 18 years old are considered as children. Children have rights to be protected by family. Under supervision of family member, children must have protected form any neglection, exploitation and violence. Other than that, unaccompanied and separated girls and boys who were reunified with families or caregivers or received appropriate alternative care services also have rights to be protected.

Activities that can prevent children from family separation and avid violence are giving knowledge to parents and community about child protection mechanism and improving family resilience through positive discipline parenting. Besides parents, other stakeholders like government and law enforcement also have roles in child protection. Child protection not only applied when child in natural state, but also when children as victims/ children as perpetrators/ children as witness. Law enforcement likes police, judges have to strengthened knowledge and skills on child right principles, child safeguarding policy, child friendly juvenile justice and psychosocial treatment in working with young people and children.

Things that can stakeholders provide and help to improve the children protection system are parenting programs, case management practices and referral systems (for field workers), existing child protection services within communities, and child rights principles and child safeguarding policy. For Indonesia’s current condition, field workers, parents, and law enforcement have a basic understanding of child protection. Yet, there is still a need to improve their understanding and practices of child rights, case management, the juvenile system, children with disabilities, and violence toward children. Although they already have basic knowledge there are specific aspects, especially on positive parenting which parents and field workers need more education on. They still have limited access to sources to learn about positive parenting and child protection. Also, there is still a lack of coordination and cooperation among stakeholders in dealing with children. The focus of capacity building should be addressed to the stakeholders and parents.