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Social elements also responsible for child protection
All elements of society at large are responsible for child protection as it is stipulated in the law, says an activist
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All elements of society at large are responsible for child protection as it is stipulated in the law, says an activist.
"Based on the 2002 Child Protection Law, society at large is also responsible for the safety of children. So all elements of society have a responsibility to actively supervise all children in their environment. It is not enough to act only when horrible things have already occurred," the deputy director of education and advocacy at Lentera Anak Indonesia (LAI), Lisda Sundari, said on Monday.
Referring to Article 20 of Law No. 35/2014 on child protection, she said that not only the country, the government and regional governments were obligated to protect children but also all elements of society, including families and parents.
She said society should be able to take action on violence against children by acting on any suspicious signs that a child was being abused, especially as the perpetrators usually come from the children' closest environment.
"We can't expect the children to speak out. We just have to be sensitive to the signs, like when a child suddenly becomes a loner or looks sad, different from their usual appearance, and complains about physical pain," she added.
Lisda also urged parents to teach their children to say no to violence, including sexual violence.
"Parents should teach their children from an early age about which parts of their body cannot be touched by others. The language also shouldn't be vague; just be clear to the children. Also teach them how to say no and to seek help if something bad happens," she said. (fsu)(++++)
