The Cycle Of Violence Among Jakarta Students: Crisis Of Emotions And Access To Sharp Weapons

Illustration of the arrest of a number of teenage brawlers with sharp weapons/ Photo: IST

JAKARTA The phenomenon of violence among students has returned to the spotlight after the incident of stabbing students in West Jakarta recently. A 16-year-old teenager had to undergo intensive care due to slashing a sickle in the neck. The perpetrator is known to be still a student from a different school involved in a dispute in a shop in the Palmerah area.

The case is not the first. In recent months, a series of brawls and duels between teenage gangs occurred in various areas of Jakarta from Cengkareng, Pasar Minggu, to Jatinegara. The pattern is almost the same: the perpetrator is still in school, provoked by social media uploads, then carries sharp weapons to "prove courage" in front of his group.

Compiled by VOI from various sources, KPAI Commissioner for Education, Retno Listyarti, this kind of violence shows a recurring cycle among students: ranging from ridicule and bullying, continuing in the formation of gangs, which leads to deadly physical action.

Many teenagers are not equipped with the ability to manage emotions and social pressure. They feel strong when they are with their group, even though they are trapped in an inherited pattern of violence," he said.

Meanwhile, teenage psychologist Anna Surti Ariani assessed that brutal acts at school age reflect the identity crisis and self-control.

They are looking for identity and social acceptance. When family and school fail to become a safe place, the violence group becomes the wrong escape," he said.

Another factor that exacerbates the situation is easy access to sharp weapons. In many raids, the police found modified sickles, machetes, and golf clubs that were obtained easily online. Normalization of the use of sharp weapons among teenagers adds to the potential for fatal injuries and even deaths in every clash.

The police confirmed that they would continue to carry out targeted patrols and raids in areas prone to student brawls. West Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes M. Syahduddi said the authorities were working with the education and school offices to take early precautions.

"We ask the school to immediately report if there is a potential for friction between students. We are also tracing the source of sharp weapons used in each case," he explained.

However, children's observers think that law enforcement alone is not enough. KPAI encourages the application of a restorative approach through reconciliation between schools and sustainable character building. Active counseling programs, digital literacy, and social media supervision are deemed necessary so that students are not easily dragged away by online provocations.

On the other hand, the role of family and government is also the key. Parents are asked to be more sensitive to changes in children's behavior and build open communication at home. Local governments need to strengthen cross-sectoral supervision, starting from the education office, the police, to the community community to prevent juvenile violence from an early age.

Schools, parents, and the environment must be a protection ecosystem. If you just take action without fostering, this cycle of violence will never stop," said Retno Listyarti.

What do the observers say

1. Violence cycle: Bullying - recruitment of gangs - KPAI brawls found a cyclic pattern: Bullying in schools often develops into group/geng recruitment, then becomes a brawl that can be resolved with sharp weapons.

2. Social media & digital provocations accelerate conflict Many incidents are triggered or exacerbated by content / confrontation on social media (challenges, provocative uploads, spread of video) so that emotions heat up quickly and the masses gather. KPAI and local coverage highlight the role of social media.

3. Identity crisis and emotional regulation of teenagers Psychologists assess that some teenagers experience identity crises, immature emotional control, and search for group acceptance of factors that make them vulnerable to violence. Environmental factors (family, school, peer group) strengthen risks.

4. Access and normalization of sharp weapons exacerbates the victims of cases that cause serious injuries / casualties usually involve sharp weapons meaning there are problems with access and normalization of the use of dangerous tools among teenagers. (reported repeatedly in brawl cases).

5. The punitive approach alone is not enough to need KPAI guidance emphasizing coaching, reconciliation between schools, and not immediately revoke education rights (mis. help) because it can harm children's learning rights; the approach must be protective and corrective, not just punishments that break access to education.