The phenomenon Street Children

Development in all areas of the city seems not only to provide a positive atmosphere for the life of the community. However, competition is also the birth of life, a phenomenon that appears on the life of poverty. The densely populated city and the many families that have been problematic to create many more children are less nutrition, less attention, less education, less affection and warmth of life, and lose the right to play, cheer, socializes and independent living. Even many cases that indicate increasing persecution against children, ranging mental pressure, physical violence, to sexual harassment, either by their own families, friends and other people.

Nowadays, the growth of street children in Indonesia increased, especially in large cities. Jakarta is one example, where we will be very easy to find street children in various places, ranging from red-light crossroads, railway stations, terminals, markets, shops, and even shopping malls. It is no secret that they are usually coordinated by a group of neat and professional, often referred to as the Mafia street children. Each member of this group has the task. There is every make mapped at the crossroad way, there is a set and met among others. Mafia exploit these children and make it as a farm business. And a more memprihatikan, this condition often with the approval of their parents own, which I rarely even play a role as part of the Mafia street children.

The composition of the displaced generally consists of children and the elderly. In 2006 there were 78.96 million children under the age of 18 years, 35.5% of the total population in Indonesia. Some 40% or 33.16 million of them live in urban areas and the remaining 45.8 million live in rural areas. Most children come from poor and underdeveloped, which does not have the ability to empower themselves, so vulnerable to violence, exploitation, gender inequalities, child trafficking and others. According to the report DEPSOS in 2004, including as many as 3,308,642 children into the category of displaced children.

Someone said to be street children, when aged under 18 years old, who use the road as a place to seek sustenance in the road and more than 6 hours a day. There are several types of street children, namely (1) street children who still have parents and live with their parents, (2) street children who still have parents but do not live with parents, (3) street children who do not already have the people but parents living with the family, and (4) street children who do not already have parents and do not live with the family.

Main Causes

Treatment to children is a major reason for children to become street children. This persecution includes physical and mental mistreatment. On the other, usually caused by the economic stimulus needs, which they must work to help parents and families.

The phenomenon of street children is a vicious circle of poverty access to the nation. The constraints faced by the mobility of street children is high enough.

Children in the house that led out not stop after a rare return to the streets. This phenomenon often occurs walapun stop the house has provided free education, free food and a roof to shelter for them. Why did this happen? Because the money. In the street, they can obtain with easy money, which is usually a minimum of Rp. 20,000 per day. Means in a month they can earn at least Rp. 600,000. The amount of this of course is relatively big for a child under the age of 18 years and life in the streets.

Who is the responsibility of Street Children?

Law No. 20 of 2002 clearly stated, the children are entitled to protection from discrimination in the treatment, both economic exploitation and sexual abuse, of, cruelty, violence, persecution, injustice, and one other treatment. That means, not only parents who are responsible, but also government and the community. Parents who employ children under the age, will also clearly sanctioned.

Cases of violence (physical, psychological, and sexual) experienced by street children and revealed to the public is just a phenomenon, "iceberg" of the problem of violence that often occur in the lives of street children. Therefore, it is not too excessive when it is said that street children are always in a situation that threatens the development of physical, mental and social and even their lives. Violence is inherent in street children and shaping their personality in the future.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers in Indonesia have not yet been a response to the protection of children. They do not put the protection of children as one of the main priority, because there are no elements politisnya. According to the Chairman of the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI), Giwo Rubianto Wiyogo, organizers child protection in Indonesia, including government and law enforcement officers have not had a response to the protection of children. The number of street children in Indonesia more days any more increases in number. This last data that the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) figures out that 154,861 people, according to the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), almost half are in Jakarta. The rest are spread to other big cities such as Medan, Palembang, Batam, Serang, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang and Drogheda

I can not, and that street children has recently become a social phenomenon that is very important in the big city life. Their attendance is often considered a mirror of poverty cities. In the eyes of some members of the community, the existence of street children up to now still in as the "waste" that the city must be removed. However, those who want to be street children? None of them want him to become street children. Even they may often ask, why was born as a poor father. If they can demand justice, justice from whom? Who is concerned about the sound, and they? The 1945 Constitution article 34 paragraph 1 with a clear mandate, the very poor and abandoned children are kept by the state. Therefore the government should continue searching for effective strategies for handling poverty and the fate of displaced children. But street children are still likely to be still struggling alone.

Author: Suwardi