MiChat Application Prostitution is Rising in Ambon, Parents Asked to Monitor Children's Activities

Illustration of prostitution (ANTARA)

AMBON - Responding to the rise of prostitution in Ambon, the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of Ambon City asked all parents to be able to control each of their children to anticipate child prostitution in Ambon.

The Chairperson of Commission I DPRD Ambon, Jafry Taihuttu said, currently covert prostitution seems to be rife in Ambon, both offline and online through the MiChat application.

"Regarding this problem, we at the DPRD ask parents to always control their children's movements, especially regarding what items are used, to their social environment", said Jafry, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, February 16.

Based on Similar Web data, Indonesia is the country with the largest number of MiChat users in the world. As of November 22, 2022, 83.73 per cent of MiChat users are from within the country.

Based on their age group, 37.45 per cent of MiChat users are 18-24 years old. There are also 32.91 per cent of the application's users are aged 25-34 years. As many as 14.41 per cent of MiChat users are in the age group of 35-44 years.

The percentage of MiChat users who are in the age range of 45-54 years is 7.79 per cent. Then, 4.49 per cent of MiChat users are in the 55-64 year age category. Meanwhile, only 2.95 per cent of MiChat users are from the age group of 65 years and over.

Jafry explained, regarding this issue, parents must pay more serious attention to their children. So whatever the kids are wearing, and whoever's asking them out, needs to be asked.

"Don't be a stupid old man. If you see children using new things, or going out, they must be asked where they got them, and who they went out with. Because of the child's attitude, it all depends on how much education and attention we give from home", he said.

According to him, in Ambon itself, cases of child abuse can start from rampant prostitution and a lack of education.

The Ambon City Child Protection and Village Community Women's Empowerment Empowerment Service (DP3AMD) recorded cases of child violence in Ambon City during 2021 dominated by cases of sexual crimes. In total there were 88 cases of child violence in Ambon in 2021, dominated by 34 cases of sexual crimes and child intercourse.

Cases of violence against children in Ambon include child intercourse, obscenity, violence against children, neglect of children, collective violence, criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO), bullying, exploitation of children, struggles for child custody, underprivileged children, and pornography.

The Head of DP3AMD explained that out of the five sub-districts in Ambon, cases of child abuse stood out in Sirimau District with 80 cases, followed by Nusaniwe District with 36 cases, Teluk with Ambon with 14, and Baguala with 12 cases. Meanwhile, in terms of gender, there were 68 girls and 32 boys dominated.

In 2021 there was a quite high increase compared to 2020 as many as 47 cases, which were dominated by cases of child molestation and KTA.

Jafry said that the City Government's success in closing the prostitution location in Tanjung Batu Merah, Ambon did not completely solve the problem of prostitution and instead appeared covert prostitution which is now commonly found.