Student Bullying Rises, Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture Talks About The Importance Of Guidance

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy (blue batik) after attending a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday (3/10/2023). BETWEEN Dwi Gayati

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy emphasized the importance of coaching related to cases of bullying that occurred in schools.

This was conveyed by Muhadjir regarding cases of bullying by students, one of which was in Cilacap, West Java.

Actually, some of these cases show that the children who bully have moved from school one to the next school. It shouldn't only be enough to transfer the person concerned, but it must really be in coaching," Muhadjir explained, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 3.

The case of bullying in Cilacap, he said, was carried out by students who had changed schools three times.

"From Tasikmalaya then moving to Cilacap, in Cilacap it has moved twice. That means actually there is a kind of deviant behavior that should have been overcome, it's not enough just to move it," he said.

Muhadjir emphasized that of the 70 percent of the bullying cases he studied and knew, the perpetrators had actually been detected from the start. It's just that the solution is often inappropriate, because they only move the child from one school to another, without being followed by adequate coaching.

According to Muhadjir, this coaching issue will be discussed by him with related parties, including the National Police.

He said that currently the National Police already has additional directorates, namely criminal acts of trafficking in persons and protection of women and children.

In addition, the issue of child protection will also be handled in terms of legal action. "We will discuss what it will be like later. I will talk later with the National Police Chief and Kabaharkam about how the operation of the Police is involved in handling the school bullying cases, so that they are really intense," he explained.

The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture assessed that cases of bullying were not enough to be handed over to the authorities of educational institutions and families. He also conveyed that this bullying issue was not only the responsibility of one technical ministry but across ministries.

Muhadjir said that students of bullying should be legally processed. However, the pattern of prosecution depends on or refers to existing laws, which relate to criminals involving minors.

As for the sanctions for educators regarding cases of bullying, Muhadjir said that the imposition of sanctions on teachers was not soft enough.

"Yes, we are not talking about sanctions, because sanctions are less than a soft approach. But that they have that responsibility. Why? Because entering the curriculum are all learning experience processes obtained by children, both in school and outside school. Therefore, teachers are actually responsible if according to ASN provisions, 8 hours per day they are responsible for their students," he explained.