The high rate of child abuse in Indonesia remains a serious concern, especially due to the many cases that do not surface. This phenomenon is like an iceberg, where official data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), which records thousands of cases, is believed to be only a fraction of the actual reality occurring in society.
Dr. Maya Trisiswati, a public health expert from the Faculty of Medicine at YARSI University, highlighted that the weakening of the protective function within the family is one of the main triggering factors. High parental mobility, especially in urban areas, makes the supervision of early childhood vulnerable. Unfortunately, many families tend to cover up abuse incidents to preserve family honor, which actually hinders efforts to handle and rehabilitate the victims.
Under these conditions, Early Childhood Education (PAUD) teachers hold a highly strategic position as the frontline. Early childhood, particularly the three-to-five age group, is the most vulnerable group as they are not yet able to defend themselves. Therefore, educators are expected to partner with parents to identify early signs of abuse and build children's understanding of self-protection.
As a concrete step, YARSI University, through the Family Welfare Service Center (Satgatra/PPKS), has initiated training for educators in East Jakarta. This program equips teachers with comprehensive knowledge on the detection, prevention, and early management of abuse cases. In addition to educators, the active involvement of parents in evaluating educational materials at school is an important key to aligning parenting patterns at home.
Efforts to create a safe environment for children cannot be done in isolation. Cross-sector collaboration among academics, government, community, and the media is highly necessary to instill a 'zero tolerance' principle toward all forms of child abuse. It is hoped that this synergy can guarantee children's rights to grow and develop optimally without the shadow of the threat of violence.
