In Indonesia, violence against children already be entrenched and carried out from generation to generation. As a result, from year to year, cases of violence against children continues to grow.
Lately, there was a lot of news about violence against children. This fact was very concern and reinforce the perception that violence against children can not be completed, although with the rule of law and legislation.
In addition to the physical violence against children, there are also other forms of violence experienced by children. For example, selling children for commercial purposes. Recently, as mentioned the news in Batam, Police has been successfully aborting of baby selling to Singapore. According to National Committee of Child Protection, currently recorded more than 3,800 children become victims of violence and has been sold to some countries like Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. One of the trigger factor is economic difficulties faced by the parents.
But, that factor not the only one trigger factor violence against children. Violence against children is closely related to cultural and structural factors in society. From cultural factors, for example, the view that children are property of parents or the view that children should be dutiful to parents, seems to be a tool on the justification of violence against children. When the child is considered negligent, fussy, not docile, and against the will of parents, he will get a penalty or punishment, which can then be turned into violence.
Structural factors occurs because of the unbalance relationship, whether in family or community environment. Here, children are in weaker position, because their position and still depends on the adults in their surrounding areas. Consequently, child discredit and distortion structurally often, whether consciously or not. Therefore, to ensure that child rights has been fulfilled so they able to live, grow, develop optimal participating in accordance with dignity and value of humanity and get protection from violence and discrimination becoming our responsibilities, especially parents.
Paradigm that is children belong to parents, so parents have the right to do anything against children must be immediately changed. Because in principal, child is something that God give to us to be loved, guarded and grew up.
In addition, dexterity of the government in overcoming the economic crisis is expected to help reduce the number of child violence. Because of that, government must make the problems of poverty and the provision of employment as a priority. In Juridical, government has been having the law about child welfare (UU No.4/1979), law about children protection (UU No.23/2002), law about child's court and Keppres No.36/1990 about Ratification Child's Right Convention. Nevertheless, in reality child welfare still far from expectations. Hunger edema until now still felt by children in some of area in Indonesia.
There was another issues of violence against children, whether employed in the worst job or victims of sexual exploitation. International Labor Organization (ILO) estimate, in Indonesia there are 4,201,452 children (aged under 18 years) involved in dangerous jobs, more than 1.5 million of them girls. In fact, the data ILO estimates, there are 2.6 million domestic workers (PRT) in Indonesia and at least 34.83 percent are children. Approximately 93 percent of children are women (Kompas, 2/7/05). Child domestic workers especially women are in vulnerable positions, starts from bad work situation, exploitation, and sexual violence.
In rural areas, poverty, early marriage, lack of education and bad health conditions encouraging children fall into prostitution and human trafficking. Therefore to solve the problems should have a maximum law enforcement. Because, it's possible thing if that facts will be a very complicated issues in the future.
According from the facts above and considering the lack of public awareness, then it's necessary to create a media that can bring all parties about the importance protection of the rights children.
Mass media having an important role for human life, especially in this reformation era. Mass media can be regarded as an effective instrument of power because of it's ability to attract and direct attention, blandish opinions and responses, attitudes affect choices, and provide status and legitimacy as well as defining the shape preception of reality.
Mass media, especially television, is currently developing rapidly. Television having a very strong influence on human life, and it's has been realized when the mass media that began in 1962 appear the middle of community. The impact can be positive and negative, depending on how we manage. The problem is how to be a positive influence, as the functions of spreading information (to inform) and the functions of the education (to educate) can be useful, while the entertaining function (to entertain) and fuction to affect (to influence) lest not to damage the Nation's value system of Indonesia.
In general, television programs affecting the attitudes, point of views, perceptions and feelings of the audience. This is normal, so if there are things that cause the audience moved, stunned it's not something special. Because one of the psychological influences from television is hypnotize audience, so they seems to float in the involvement of the story or the events displayed.
With that reasons, mass media is the right tool for campaigning for protectiong of the rights children. And some action concrete can be done such as: giving counseling to the parents, making community ad. services, and request support from local government so that the Rights of Children protected.
Barito.Ropen
(setelah gua baca ulang, ternyata english gua masih belepetan. Heheheh)
