BKKBN Survey: Today's Youth Dating Style Can Lead To Risky Behavior

Illustration of teenage dating styles leads to risky behavior (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Teenagers are a phase of life full of dynamics and challenges. Unfortunately, many teenagers in Indonesia face various risky behaviors that can have a negative impact on their future.

Bina Resilience Director of BKKBN Youth, Dr. Edi Setiawan, S.S., M.SE, M.Sc revealed the risky behavior of teenagers. Starting from pregnancy, early marriage, sexual violence, pre-marriage sex to abortion.

"The behavior is at risk for teenagers, teenage pregnancies aged 15-19 years 36 per 1,000 teenage girls," said Edi, when met at the PGC Cililitan favehotel, East Jakarta on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

"Early marriage 7% of children are married. Sexual violence, 3 out of 5 women 1 in 10 men have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. Pre-wedding sex, 59% of women, 74% of men have sex for the first time at the age of 15-19 years. Abortion of 750 thousand-1.5 million cases of abortion per year," he continued.

Not only that, Edi also revealed dating behavior to teenagers. From BKKBN data, behavior in dating adolescents aged 11-24 years. Women and men aged 15-19 years have a high percentage of sexual intercourse for the first time 74% and 59%, respectively.

"Men tend to have sex for the first time at a younger age than women," he said.

According to the BKKBN Youth Resilience Index Survey, 45.5% of teenagers claim to have had a dating relationship, including a relationship with no emotional closeness status and most teenage respondents have a physical touch dating style.

"As many as 59.9% of teenage girls held hands during dating. A total of 61.2% of teenage boys held hands while dating," he explained.

This dating style is included in the risky behavior of teenagers which in turn can lead to something that is not.

Therefore, BKKBN makes PIK Youth (Information Center and Youth Concelling) coaching. The benefits are to find solutions to the problems faced, plan the future, and gain knowledge about healthy living for teenagers.

"The implementation of the peer approach is through peer education and peer counselors. It is in the education route, such as schools and universities and community pathways, such as the youth community." he continued.