RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Child abuse cases in Indonesia remain a serious concern. As of mid-2025, the Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children (SIMFONI PPA) recorded 13,845 reports of child abuse, with the majority of violations against children's rights occurring within the family environment.

Deputy Minister of Population and Family Development (Wamendukbangga) and Deputy Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Ratu Ayu Isyana Bagoes Oka, stated that families play a pivotal role in preventing child abuse by fostering a safe, loving, and violence-free parenting environment.

"We need to build a culture that tolerates no form of violence and does not turn a blind eye to what is happening around us," Isyana said in an official statement in Jakarta on Friday, August 7, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

According to her, a positive parenting environment serves as a crucial investment in shaping a generation that is healthy, intelligent, resilient, and of good character.

She said that child protection must begin at home with healthy communication and loving parenting. This is vital because data from 2025 shows that children's rights violations most often occurred in family and alternative care settings.

"Therefore, building a culture that cares for and protects children must be a shared responsibility," she said.

SIMFONI PPA data up to mid-2025 recorded 13,845 reports of child abuse cases in Indonesia. These include physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, exploitation, and digital violence or cyberbullying.

Psychologist Nila Anggreiny noted that children often cannot describe the abuse they have experienced. Therefore parents need to be attuned to changes in their children's behavior. Emotional changes, sleep disturbances, regression, behavioral shifts, and physical changes can signal that a child needs attention and support. While no single indicator definitively confirms abuse, multiple signs require serious attention.

She encourages parents to adopt a responsive parenting style that is attuned to their children's needs, fosters a sense of security, and establishes two-way communication.

"The family is the first place where a child learns about safety, self-confidence, and being valued. In a loving home, a child's sense of self-protection grows stronger every day," Nila said. ***