Explosion At SMAN 72 Jakarta: Radical Actions Are Not Always Triggered By The Anger Of Bullying Victims

The atmosphere at SMAN 72 Jakarta in Kelapa Gading Barat Village, Kelapa Gading District, North Jakarta on Monday (10/11/2025). (ANTARA/Mario Sofia Nasution)

JAKARTA Forensic psychologist Kasandra Putranto asked the public and the police to be careful in concluding indications of bullying or bullying as a factor that causes the alleged perpetrator to commit radical acts.

The explosion at SMA Negeri 72 Jakarta on Friday (7/11/2025) caught the attention of the wider community. What made this incident a center of attention was one of the reasons because the suspected perpetrator of the explosion was a 17-year-old student.

The Head of the Indonesian National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has confirmed the news. Regarding the identity of the perpetrator and the reasons behind the actions he has taken are still a puzzle, although there is a lot of information circulating about these two things.

According to the news circulating, the alleged perpetrator was a victim of bullying or bullying and he took this action as an act of revenge. However, he reiterated that there has been no official statement from the police regarding the motive behind his actions.

Forensic psychologist Kasandra Putranto said that the events that occurred at SMAN 72 Jakarta were classified as cases of violent crimes. For this reason, it is necessary to deepen and verify thoroughly on various aspects before being able to conclude that there are indications of bullying as a trigger factor or the cause of the act of injuring a number of people.

"Seeing the number of injured victims of up to 96 people, it can be classified as a criminal act of severe persecution," said Kasandra when contacted by VOI.

To get various conclusions that are able to shed light on cases related to motive or intention, background of events, risk of danger, psychodynamic behavior, and even prove allegations of bullying as a trigger, Kasandra emphasized the need to conduct forensic psychological examinations of suspected perpetrators, witnesses and victims, as well as analyze various evidences and corlateral data.

"The factor of bullying against the perpetrator cannot be ascertained firmly as the main cause or as a trigger that should be investigated further," he said.

"Or indeed there are other factors that play a more role in causing a decision to harm others by preparing a number of IED (Improved Explosive Device) explosives, such as mental health conditions, external environmental influences, or individual personal dynamics," continued Kasandra.

He emphasized that premature withdrawal of conclusions without a strong empirical basis has the potential to cause public misunderstanding and disrupt the objectivity of the legal process.

Therefore, a comprehensive, data-based, and cross-disciplined investigative approach is essential so that factual truth can be revealed fairly and accurately.

Although it is not yet clear what the motive of the alleged perpetrator is, this case can be an alarm about the relationship between children and parents and students with teachers at school. Teenagers, as is known, often experience various problems in their search for identity.

Regarding the explosion incident at the school, Kasandra emphasized that it could not be explained only from one factor. Therefore, the allegation of bullying against the perpetrators must be further proven, whether bullying plays a major cause or only an emotional trigger.

Kasandra does not deny that the experience of being a victim of bullying can lead to feelings of revenge, social rejection, and loss of meaning, which can make teenagers more vulnerable to the influence of extreme ideology. However, radicalization is not a single process, but the result of interactions between personal, social, and ideological factors.

"This means that bullying can be one of the entrances, but does not always have a direct impact," said Kasandra.

Radicalization or acts of violence against teenagers also involve a number of other factors such as family conditions, as well as the social environment. Access to extreme ideologies in cyberspace also has a major contribution to the youth radicalization process.

Therefore, according to Kasandra, in every incident of violence, a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach and investigation are needed so that case handling does not rush to accuse one factor, but is able to fully and scientifically uncover the root of the problem.

There are allegations of deep trauma or inner wounds in students or teenagers that parents at home and teachers at school should be able to recognize.

When a child is gloomy, withdraws from association, behaves differently than usual, or shows anger, adults should act and help their child solve the problems they face.

The relationship between parents and children, said Kasandra, is very important to prevent bullying. Parents need to recognize their children's behavior through good communication in order to understand the attitudes and changes that occur.

Bullying can also trigger emotional, social problems, and even increase the risk of depression and suicide. Therefore, parents must be sensitive to every change in their child's attitude in order to provide the right support and protection," said Kasandra.