Child Abuse by Caregivers Decreases Over the Past Six Years

The number of children experiencing violence from caregivers at home has decreased over the past six years. This is reflected in the reduced proportion of households with children who experience physical punishment and/or psychological aggression from caregivers.

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that households with children experiencing physical punishment and/or psychological aggression from caregivers reached 54.8% in 2014. This percentage decreased by 6.4% to 48.4% in 2020.

The decrease in the percentage of households with children experiencing physical punishment and/or psychological aggression from caregivers occurred across all regions. In rural areas, the percentage decreased by 5.7% from 57.47% to 51.77%. Meanwhile, in urban areas, the percentage decreased by 6.33% from 52% to 45.67%.

For information, the 2014 survey targeted children aged 1 to 14 years. This differs from the 2020 survey respondents, which included children aged 1 to 17 years.

According to BPS, the children in this survey include biological, step, and adopted children. Caregivers are defined as adults residing in the household, ranging from fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, to domestic helpers.