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Govt prepares mobile counseling for teens
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Teenagers participate in a flash mob at the iconic Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. ( JP/Wendra Ajistyatama )
I
n an attempt to help teenagers with psychological problems, the Social Affairs Ministry has prepared mobile counseling services that would be assigned in crowded areas like the Car Free Day (CFD) event every Sunday.
For the time being, the anti-galau (anti-confusion) cars, equipped with psychologists would be setup within the CFD's vicinity every Sunday in Jakarta and other cities across the country, said Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.
"Every Sunday during the CFD, we will provide mobile car services to as many cities as we possibly can," said Khofifah said.
The mobile counseling service is a creative solution to facing the myriad of youth issues especially related to illegal drug use and casual sex that more often than not remains unknown to parents, said the minister.
Teenagers will most likely talk with friends their own age about the mistakes they have made instead of with family members, which is a risk as they may bow down to peer pressure even further and fall into a worse condition, she said.
Media’s reports have shown a number of teenagers who had become victims of human trafficking or sexual abuse by adults through social media. In such situations culprits would arrange meetings to trap potential victims.
The Social Affairs Ministry is currently focusing on issues related to targeting the younger generation's tendency to consuming illegal drugs, psychotropic drugs and addictive substances (NAPZA).
"Many confused children try sniffing glue. From sniffing glue, they could turn to something harder like methamphetamines. The daily expenditure to buy meth is Rp 25,000. If they begged at red lights, they could collect more than Rp 25,000," Khofifah said.
For this reason, providing the anti-confusion cars is an alternative solution taken by the ministry to assist troubled teenagers with the help of counselors and psychologists.
"There won't be a patronizing environment of righteousness or a holier–than–thou attitude. There would be mutual empathy," she said.
Khofifah expressed hope that the counselors involved with the anti-confusion cars program could receive support from collaboration with university psychology students. (liz/bbn)
