Children Right Convention should become Children Protection Law

On July 23th, Indonesia celebrates Children Day and almost everyday we watch and hear about children abuse done by adults especially parents on TV or news. Some parents get shocked when they figure out on most cases happened that they are a doer for children abuse. They do not think when they have done to children, such as: yelling at them, make children do what they do not want to, and so on, can be a boomerang for their children and included ‘Children Abuse’. They think that the children are their own children and can treat theirs like they wish. This issue seems not to go over though United Nations has published Children Right Convention since 1990 about 4 children rights, they are : survival right, development right, protection right, and participation right. Here, protection right has the highest level for reaching children’s good future but it is often neglected by parents. It consists of four factors such as : Physical protection, Emotional Protection, Sexual Protection, Neglect Protection. Kak Seto, the manager of KPAI, said that children must report to police if they got abuse, even it is from their parents. Though Indonesia has ratified those rights, most parents do not understand them so some abuses still happen. This convention should have been children protection law but Indonesian government has not decided and made it. Some people and intuitions (LSM) are fighting for this law, such as: KPAI and HAM, and make the government plan this law, because it is still a preface. Weak law system in this country causes many abuse cases and it will be brought to the court if there are victims. However, Indonesia government should make a big effort to put this children protection into a law.

First, children are our most precious part in our life. They should be given some choices to decide what they like and do not like. Parents have to know that children have a right to listen. It is needed when parents try to tell them which one is good and bad because children need guiding but parents are not allowed to yell and insult them with bad words. Parents can differentiate between abuse and affection when parents are punishing children. ‘Punishment and Reward’ parenting system is good things to use because children will learn many things, such as : avoiding the same mistakes and encouraging children to do the best for reward.

Second, it is not only parents’ responsibility to raise the children but also people around the children. In this matter, the government has a big role to make a significant environment by controlling some national issues/problems that can bring bad effects for children’s growth. How many children have been influenced to do bad things after watching crime and inappropriate programs on TV? Based on survey, 10 millions children are getting involved in dangerous works and they are working as a thief and a prostitute. It is like an evil circle if the government still does nothing; on the other hand the government is closely concerned with small stuff that is not really important, such as higher tax on Hollywood Movies.

Third, the high rate of children abuse is going higher year by year. It means that the children right convention is still not firmly working. TV Programs should keep televising good and appropriate programs for parents and children such as family and mass counseling (Iklan Penyuluhan Keluarga dan Masyarakat) that we can see them on TV. Parents will understand their role as parents and try to minimize children abuse. Other TV Program goes well with children is Upin Ipin. This 3D animation offers moral values and easy to understand for children, no violence element inside and religious matters concluded. In this matter, KPI (Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia) take an important part to select the programs in order to reduce inappropriate programs. As we can see, some TV Programs show violence in Family (mostly television series), this causes parents to imitate what they will do to their children if there is no way out how to deal with their children’s problem. Parents have so many excuses to deny when they are blamed for the violent act that they have done to their children. They argue that it is good for children’s discipline; in fact it is not effective. Pinching, pull children’s ears, grumbling, and yelling at children are common things but they are strongly breaking the children right (Physic and Emotional Protection).

On the other hand, some parents still use physical punishment for training children’s discipline in the young age so it will be a signal for children to determine the good things and bad things. Parents refer simply to traditional parenting that parents rule the children’s life and no denial for parents’ word or suggestion. However, if parents do not give a chance for children to speak and choose, the children will not be a free individual and physic and emotional abuse keep going.

We can conclude that Indonesia Government needs to take care of children right convention to be children protection law and punish the doers who treat children so badly. It is actually so sad, Indonesia is such a big country with million hundreds people especially children that need a very good law to protect their future because they are our next generation. They can possibly be a good generation if we, as adults and parents, give them a good model and raise them well by watching our language, less physical and emotional abuse. “Punishment and Reward” parenting system can be a good system for family to run. A pile of homework is for Indonesia Government, Parents, and Adults to protect children’s right so we should stick together to make the children’s dream (to live in peace and happiness) come true. Save Indonesian Children!