Jakarta. Calls are mounting for Indonesia to have an anti-bullying law as more children fall victim, and some of these kids have even died.

A South Tangerang junior high school student, known by his initials MH, recently lost his life after sustaining serious injuries from bullying. A classmate had beaten MH's head with a chair. This was only one of the many fatal bullying cases in the country. In Pekanbaru, fourth-grader MAR was paralyzed after getting kicked in the head by a classmate. MAR passed away over the weekend after his condition worsened.

Indonesia already has some regulations that address bullying. This includes the 2014 Child Protection Law and the Criminal Code. In 2023, the Education Ministry issued a regulation on preventing violence at schools. Indonesia also has the Personal Data Protection Law, which can help address cyberbullying. However, Nurini pointed out that all these regulations were not well-integrated, thus affecting their enforcement.

“Many scholars and practitioners have been for a national anti-bullying law. This document will define what counts as bullying. It will also address the prevention and administrative sanctions,” Nurini recently said.

“It will deal with how we should handle the bullying cases, and also lay out what schools and parents must do,” she stated.

Without a national anti-bullying law, victims will only receive partial protection. Nurini went on to say that bullying is punishable even if it does not cause physical injury. The analyst added that: “Psychological violence, systematic bullying, and anything that harms a child’s development is considered violence.”

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti recently said that his team was working on a new anti-violence regulation. However, his statement alluded that the upcoming regulatory framework would be a ministerial regulation-level, meaning that it is at the lower hierarchy of the legislation. Abdul Mu’ti told the press on Sunday that this upcoming regulation should “take effect in the first semester of 2026”.

Deputy Minister for Children Protection Veronica Tan said that everyone needed to work together to prevent bullying. Schools, teachers, and students even play a role in creating a safe and inclusive school environment. Families are also crucial in encouraging kids to embrace healthy digital habits, a key factor in cyberbullying prevention.

“How about we make bullying prevention a shared responsibility? It’s not a one-man effort. Families, parents, the governments, institutions, and the community should take part in preventing bullying,” Veronica said.

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