JAKARTA - Sexual jokes are often considered a common thing in everyday life. Many people use it as a material for humor without realizing that this kind of joke can humiliate and potentially hurt others, especially women.
If it is continued to be considered normal, this habit can form an unhealthy social environment and normalize the form of harassment.
The Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN reminds the public not to normalize sexual jokes that demean women.
The statement was made by the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance/Chief Secretary of BKKBN, Budi Setiyono, in response to the case of alleged sexual harassment in a student message group at the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia (FHUI).
"Sexual jokes are often considered normal, but they shouldn't be done. This often happens because of group pressure, which causes individuals to tend to follow group behavior in order to be accepted by their peers," he said.
Budi emphasized that this incident is an important reminder that sexual violence does not always occur physically. He assessed that digital spaces, including private conversations, can be a means of strengthening the culture of harassment if they are not taken seriously.
"Sexual conversations that demean, objectify, or contain symbolic violence against individuals are not just jokes, but instead create an unsafe environment for a broad community, especially for women," he said.
He also reminded that the habit of normalizing this behavior in daily life can develop into real actions in the outside world.
"The digital space is not a blank space but can reflect the patterns of social interaction that occur. What is said in it can reflect values, attitudes, and potential behaviors in the real world," he explained.
In addition, Budi said that sexual harassment, including those that occur in the digital space, can have a serious impact on the psychological condition of the victim.
"More broadly, this can undermine the integrity of the academic environment, which should uphold ethics, equality, and respect for human dignity," he said.
Therefore, he emphasized the importance of the role of all parties to jointly prevent and overcome this phenomenon so that it does not spread further.
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