Another Bullying Case Claims a Victim, Puan Maharani: This is an Emergency

JAKARTA - House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani believes the rampant cases of bullying against students in schools should be declared a state of emergency. She made this assessment following the alleged bullying that occurred at SMPN 19 Tangerang.

According to Puan, this incident is something that should not be allowed to happen again. She stated that the House of Representatives is deeply concerned about the increasing number of cases of child bullying that have recurred in various regions.

"If this is said to be an emergency, my leadership and I might have already declared it an emergency, because it has happened again and again," Puan said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta, Antara news agency reported on Tuesday, October 18.

Puan said she would ask the relevant commissions in the House of Representatives to summon the relevant ministries to study and evaluate the phenomenon of bullying in schools.

She believes that resolving this issue requires the involvement of professionals who understand the psychological conditions of children and adolescents.

"Because young men and women, students, and children of Indonesia are our future generation," Puan said.

He reminded that there should be no physical or mental violence or violence that damages a child's mental health in educational settings, whether at elementary, middle, high school, or university level.

"We are deeply concerned that this incident will recur," he said.

Previously, the South Tangerang Police questioned six witnesses regarding the alleged bullying of a student at South Tangerang State Junior High School 19, identified as MH (13). The investigation was conducted to determine the sequence of events that occurred at the school.

The victim, MH, died on Sunday, November 16, after undergoing a week of treatment at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta.