REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JOMBANG -- Survivors of child abuse could face a lifetime of physical and mental trauma, so the authority should act proactively to crack down on the crime, Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated here, Sunday.
Some studies have revealed that the children who were assaulted in the past could experience anxiety and depression, as well as exhibit aggressive and rebellious behavior as they grow older, Khofifah noted while declaring the "Stop Violence on Children" campaign attended by hundreds of students in Jombang, a district in East Java Province.
"As the victims experienced a traumatic incident in the past, they could turn into perpetrators in future," she pointed out.
Several factors, including pornographic materials, alcoholic beverages, drugs, and other harmful activities, have caused the crime, the minister remarked. She further pointed out that parents need to oversee the activities of their children when they access the internet, as currently pornographic content is easily available online.
Parents need to be tech-savvy in order to safeguard their children from any threats, as social media now is filled with sexual predators, Khofifah reiterated. A permissive community is another challenge to halt the crime, as in most cases, the perpetrators are the victims' family members, such as fathers, brothers, and even their uncles, she added.
"The family should be a secure place for all children," the minister stated while adding that everyone needs to be engaged in fighting against the crime.
The Indonesia Child Protection Commission had last year revealed that the numbers of victims and offenders soared by 100 percent during the 2013-2014 period. A lack of awareness among parents remains a major problem in halting the crime, the commission stated on its official site.
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