Economy Causes Child Violence To Increase During The COVID-19 Pandemic

JAKARTA - Violence against children during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased. This is because of feeling bored, boredom and tired due to activities that are done more at home.

"Research shows that the majority of acts of violence against children occur in families with low socioeconomic conditions. Socio-economic pressures such as debt bondage and low economic capacity are a cause of stress for parents," said Yulina Eva, a lecturer at the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences of IPB University. Riany was reported by Antara , Monday, October 19.

Yulina said changes in family financial conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will further exacerbate psychological pressure on the family which can have a fatal impact on children. Children become victims of emotional outbursts from their parents as the closest parties and are less likely to fight back.

Excessive expression of anger as a solution to problem escape is often spilled by parents against children, especially coupled with the knowledge of low parenting strategies and the habit of imposing physical punishment in daily social interactions between children and parents.

"For example, a murder case committed by a mother against her biological daughter who is still in grade I SD in Tangerang. The mother has the heart to molest her own child who is still six years old because she is annoyed that her child is unable to master online learning. Of course this is an iceberg phenomenon that occurs. in the community, "he said.

Data from various parties shows that child violence in several areas has increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Office of Women's Empowerment for Child Protection for Population Control and Family Planning of West Nusa Tenggara show violence against children in the province increased by 12 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children (SIMFONI PPA) of the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection found that violence against children reached 5,697 cases with 5,315 victims from 1 January 2020 to 23 September 2020.

"The majority of children experience violence during online learning at home. The economic limitation of the family to pay for children's online learning is one of the reasons parents are more easily provoked to anger when children are unable to master the distance learning process at home," he explained.

Yulina said that a strategic effort was needed to strengthen the function and role of the family in the process of mentoring children during activities at home. Family capacity needs to be strengthened, especially the function of the family in accompanying children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Although it is not easy, with maximum efforts and cooperation as early as possible and strengthening the participation of schools, families and communities, we should be able to work together to overcome cases of violence against children during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.