UB Expert Highlights the Need for Comprehensive Legal Umbrella for Child Bullying Cases

UB Criminal Law Professor Nurini Aprilianda believes that Indonesia still lacks a comprehensive Anti-Bullying Law. While elements of bullying are regulated in several laws and regulations, she thinks it is not sufficient. For instance, bullying elements are regulated in the Child Protection Law (Article 76C, 76D, 80, 81), Minister of Education Regulation No. 46 of 2023, and the Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023). Prof. Nurini stresses the importance of more integrated laws. She also added that the Child Protection Law positions bullying as a form of violence against children, focusing on victim protection, psychological recovery, and holding underage perpetrators accountable. “Here, bullying can be punishable even if it does not cause physical harm because the definition of violence includes psychological violence, systematic bullying, and threatening behavior that impairs the child’s development,” said Prof. Nurini to reporters on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Meanwhile, the Electronic Information and Transactions Law only applies to bullying that occurs in digital spaces, such as through disseminating insults, threats, doxing, or content that degrades the dignity of victims, emphasizing electronic evidence and digital traces. As a lex specialis, the ITE Law provides specific instruments to address cyberbullying that are not always covered by the Criminal Code or the Child Protection Law. “Therefore, many academics and practitioners suggest the need for a national Anti-Bullying Law, which regulates definitions, prevention, education, administrative sanctions, handling mechanisms, as well as the responsibilities of schools and parents,” she said. In addition to law enforcement, the Deputy Dean II of the Faculty of Law also highlights the importance of increasing public literacy on crime patterns and the implementation of community-based security technology (such as panic buttons and CCTV) to reduce bullying cases. Recently, a teenage girl in 7th grade in a junior high school in Malang City fell victim to bullying. The case came to light after a video of violence against the victim surfaced on social media. This matter is currently being handled by the Malang City Police. (dpe/abq)