"We hope the school can conduct supervision to prevent bullying since it has many negative effects on children. Let us take efforts to prevent violence in the educational environment, especially in the boarding school environment," she noted in Jakarta, Thursday.
The minister expressed concern over the bullying of a 13-year-old student by a classmate at the Islamic boarding school.
The minister stated that assistance and protection of victims as well as a fair legal process were being prioritized in handling this case.
Moreover, Puspayoga deemed it crucial to prevent violence in the boarding school environment without further ado.
"This incident is very concerning. The victim was beaten by a classmate that resulted in injuries, bruises, and a broken nose. This kind of violence should not have happened, especially in a boarding school environment, where children do not only come to school to study but also live in the school dormitories," she remarked.
The victim DF, 13, experienced violence in the hands of KR, 13, on November, 26, 2022. Due to this incident, the victim suffered a head injury, bruises on the back of the waist, and a broken nose.
The victim's mother, who was visiting the victim, was taken aback to find her child injured.
The mother immediately called the victim's father and took the victim to Saiful Anwar Hospital in Malang for a post-mortem examination and medical treatment.
"Initial psychological assistance was provided by the Regional Technical Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) in Malang District along with psychologists on November, 28, 2022. The psychological assistance aimed at assessing the condition of the trauma experienced as well as providing psychological support to victims and the family regarding the incident," she explained.
Puspayoga stated that the victim's medical and psychological developments would continue to be monitored, as the victim was traumatized by the incident.
In addition to psychological assistance, the UPTD PPA has provided mediation assistance at the Malang Police on January 2, 2023. Based on results of the mediation, the victim's parents were keen to continue the legal process.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Resinta S
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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