UNS — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta Scout held a national webinar on “Integrative Approach on Preventing Sexual Violence and Bullying as A Mental Education in Preparing Indonesia’s Golden Generation” through Zoom Cloud Meeting, Saturday (10/10/2020) morning. In this occasion, UNS Scout invited several speakers, among others, AKP Purbo Adjar Waskito (Chief of the Detective and Criminal Unit (Kasatreskrim) City Police (Polresta) of Surakarta), Prof. Ismi Dwi Astuti Nurhaeni (Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNS), and Mami Sugiarsi (Coordinator of Aliansi Peduli Perempuan (Alliance for Women) Sukowati Sragen).
The event was opened by the Vice-Rector for Students and Alumni Affairs UNS, Prof. Kuncoro Diharjo. In his remark, Prof. Kuncoro stated that the national webinar held by UNS Scout is a form of patriotism coaching which is regularly held by the Students and Alumni Affairs Department. “Patriotism education has eight groups of activities and for each group, UNS held at least three times, thus, there are 24 activities in this field held in collaboration with students in Students Association and Alhamdulillah this morning we held it with UNS Scout,” Prof. Kuncoro stated.
As the first speaker, Prof. Ismi presented the result of her research on adolescent sexual behavior in 14 schools, both at the Junior and Senior High School (SMP/SMA), in Surakarta. She stated that a behavior can be categorized as sexual violence if it is accompanied by threat and coercion against the victim. “It can occur through social contact or non-contact social behavior. It can take a form of rape, sexual assault, unwanted fondling, harassment, and making innuendos with hands,” Prof. Ismi explained. She added that the elements of sexual assaults might take a form of unwanted sexual action/activities, perpetrator and victim, and threat/coercion toward somebody. In this case, Prof. Ismi stated that 55.6% of adolescences have accessed porn sites and 71.5% of this number are males.
Concerning the high probability of sexual assaults and bullying towards women and children, Kasatreskrim Polresta Surakarta, AKP Purbo Adjar, stated that Indonesian Police Force (Polri) has the responsibility in protecting women and children through its Women and Children Service Unit (Unit Pelayanan Perempuan dan Anak – PPA). In carrying out its duties, PPA, mentioned by AKP Purbo Adjar, has several legal bases in handling sexual violence and bullying. For example, the Law No. 35 of 2014 concerning Children Protection, Law No. 23 of 2004 concerning Domestic Violence, Law No. 21 of 2007 concerning the Education on the Prevention of Human Trafficking (Pendidikan Pencegahan Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang – PTPPO).
“In PPA we have to provide services in the form of protection for women and children who become victims of crime and law enforcement toward women and children who committed criminal acts,” he explained.
AKP Purbo Adjar stated that several behaviors in daily life can be considered as sexual violence, and the public, in general, do not aware of it. The examples are sexually suggestive remarks, slapping, stomping on the feet, cursing, sneering, and slandering. Penal code exists for the perpetrators of sexual violence and bullying. AKP Purbo Adjar stated that people who committed sexual violence and bullying can be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of 3 years and 6 months and/or a maximum fine of IDR 72 million.
As the last speaker, Mami Sugiarsi as the Coordinator of Aliansi Peduli Perempuan Sukowati Sragen shared her experience when she accompanied sexual violence and bullying perpetrators and victims. During her 15 years of career in this field, Mami Sugiarsi has handled 435 cases. However, Mami Sugiarsi admitted that she had never sent any sexual violence perpetrator to jail. “I never sent any of the perpetrators, who mainly are males, to jail. I choose to brainwash them so that their children and their families would still have the breadwinner of the family,” she added.
To prevent domestic violence, Mami Sugiarsi reminded the importance of children protection by building a healthy family. This can be achieved by building the characters in children and young generation as well as fixing or improving parenting quality in the family. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
