How Effective Is Online Game Restrictions To Prevent Violence?

The situation of SMAN 72 Jakarta which carries out Distance Learning (PJJ) with trauma healing material on the second day, Tuesday (11/11/2025). (ANTARA/Mario Sofia Nasution)

JAKARTA The online game restriction proposed by President Prabowo Subianto is considered not to necessarily prevent acts of violence in schools.

President Prabowo asked for the imposition of restrictions on online games full of violence, such as Player Unknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG, as stated by the Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi.

"He (Prabowo) said that we also have to think about limiting and trying to find a way out of the influences of online games," said Prasetyo.

"Because, it is possible, this online game has several things there, there are things that are not good, which may affect our future generation," he said.

The statement was in response to an explosion at SMA Negeri 2 Jakarta last weekend. However, education observer Ina Liem assessed that online games could indeed affect children's personalities, but they could not be used as the main scapegoat for violent behavior.

At least in the past week, the public has been working on the news of an explosion at SMAN 72 Jakarta, which occurred during Friday prayers. What is of concern, the alleged perpetrator is a 17-year-old student.

Until now, it is not known exactly what the motive behind the violence was. It was rumored that he was a bully or bullying victim. Meanwhile, other rumors suspect he is on the list of terrorist networks.

After almost a week since the incident, the Densus 88 Anti-terror Information and Documentation Management Officer (PPID) of the National Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mayndra Eka Wardhana, said that there was no terrorist activity carried out by the perpetrator, ABH. He emphasized that this was purely a common crime.

Based on the results of the investigation by Densus 88, since early 2025 ABH has started to look for content containing elements of violence. He also saw various sites describing how people died or had accidents, vicious violence with various levels.

It doesn't stop there. ABH is also known to join the social media community who admires all forms of violence.

After the explosion, a weapon was found, which was confirmed after it turned out to be a toy weapon. ABH is suspected of being inspired by several figures who have previously committed acts of violence in various places.

Among them were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who were shooting actors atTENtant High School in 1999 in Colorado, United States. There was also Dylann Rooflap who was the shooter at a church in the US in 2015. Then in a toy gun found at the TKP, the name Alexandre Bissonnette was also listed, who was the perpetrator of the attack on a mosque in Canada in 2017.

Based on the examination, the idea of President Prabowo to limit online games containing violence emerged to prevent similar incidents.

Like it or not, like it or not, gadget gadget gadget gadgets cannot really be separated from children. Although various studies say that gadgets have a negative impact on children, in fact children need gadgets in a number of activities, including in completing school assignments.

Director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University ofwaste, John Foxe, in the December 2024 edition of the Journal of Behavior Addictions said parents should care about their children's devices. Because, excessive use of gadgets, especially for playing games, can trigger addiction.

In his research, he observed data collected from 6,143 video game users aged 10-15 years for four years. As a result, video game addiction can affect lower brain activity in areas involved in decision making and reward processing.

Addiction to children on screens or video games, said Foxe, is influenced by parents who are loose in managing timeanak screening at home. Lately, many parents have even started to make watching gadgets as gifts so that children are calmer, especially on weekends.

Education observer Ina Liem does not deny the influence of online games on children. However, he emphasized that online games cannot be used as the main scapegoat for the behavior of violence against children.

According to his view, children play games as an escape, competition, or space to accept. This is actually an indication of a psychological need that has not been met in the real world.

"If the school environment is not safe, not inclusive, or full of pressure, they will look for alternative spaces, and games will be one of them," said Ina Liem.

He added that the root of the problem of violence against children is not just online games. According to him, the lack of supervision, communication, and social support around children can actually be the cause. So, no matter how strict the game regulations are made, children will move to other forms of escape if these factors are not addressed.

"What is more urgent is to ensure that the Task Force for the Prevention of Violence in schools is truly active, and every child has an adult who can be trusted to talk. If that's not the case, children will look for outlets elsewhere," he said.

Education observer and child observer Retno Listyarti agrees that various shows containing violence have the potential to influence children repeating similar actions. However, he emphasized that there are other factors that are the cause.

Retno highlighted parenting patterns in school environments that had not gone well, resulting in repeated child abuse. He also asked the government to seriously fix parenting patterns in schools, not only limiting access to violent games such as shootings.

"Without changing parenting patterns, including in the educational environment, it will not be resolved either," said Retno.