Three high school bands released a compilation CD Wednesday to chant their opposition to bullying at schools.
Having won the Young Hearts Band Festival in 2008, the bands won the chance to record five songs and a poem for the CD, titled Music for Peace.
Pieter, the keyboard player for the Nucleuz Band from State High School No. 103, said violence at school could be overcome if there was love and respect among students.
"God created love, not hatred, so we must respect one another and not feel superior to anyone else," he said on the sidelines of the CD launch at the school in Klender, East Jakarta.
Similar launches will also be held at State High School No. 82 in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, and Al Izhar High School in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta.
Two NGOs concerned about bullying at school, Plan Indonesia and Sejiwa, organized the music competition and sponsored the CD.
A joint survey conducted by Plan Indonesia and Sejiwa showed 65 percent of 1,500 junior and high school students in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya admitted to having been abused both verbally and physically at school.
"This has made students unwilling to go to school," Plan Indonesia communications manager Isni Ahmad said at Wednesday's event.
Plan Indonesia director John McDonough said campaigning through music and other forms of art would be effective because teenagers could relate to this.
"They're the one who chose to deliver the message through music and poetry," he said in a press statement.
"Therefore we expect their message can be accepted by their peers."
High school No. 103 principal Utar Muchtar said he believed the campaign would work in preventing violence at school.
"Even though we haven't had any instances of bullying at our school, there's no harm in nipping the problem in the bud," he said.
He added the issue was of tremendous concern among educators.
