92% of people are very concerned about violence against women and children, but 72% feel the country has presented a sense of security. Violence, ... personal responsibility?
Anxiety As A Form Fear of Crime
Violence against women and children in Indonesia is a very worrying issue. Case after case of violence is more easily highlighted by the media into the daily consumption of the masses. No doubt, if Komnas Perempuan (2023) still records a high number of gender-based violence (KBG), which is 339,782 complaints throughout 2022. Meanwhile, cases of violence against children throughout 2023 were also recorded at over 800 cases per month. In fact, almost touched the number of 1,200 cases in May, based on a report by the National Criminal Information Center (Pusiknas) Bareskrim Polri.
Reports of the frequency of violence mentioned above certainly have consequences for the community's perception of assessing this issue. The thousands of figures are certainly still relative and open to discussion, but the subjective and objective experience felt by the community is towards its own culmination point, seeing the issue of violence against women and children as a worrying issue. The results of a survey conducted by the Populi Center confirm this concern.
A survey conducted in June 2023 showed a total of 92% of respondents agreed (41% strongly agreed and 51% agreed) that the issue of violence against women and children is very worrying. Both male and female groups also have almost the same attention to this issue, 90% and 92%, respectively. In particular, 43% of the women's group, or 4% more than the men's group, considered the issue of violence very worrying.
This higher concern by women is a rationality that is formed on the basis of both objective and subjective experience. Objective experience comes from experience as a victim of violent crime. While subjective experience is an intersection of various aspects. In the language of Victimology (Walklate, 2007), fear of crime (fear of crime) is formed by 3 aspects. The risk assessment (risk) in terms of consideration of individual characteristics (in this case gender). Gender-based violence places women as vulnerable and at risk of violence. Second, security perception (security) relating to the availability of facilities and systems that ensure security. Finally, fear can be formed as a result of anxiety (anxiety) to the phenomenon of violence fabricated into a metaphorical phenomenon. In the survey results above, these three things are difficult to show because it is not solely a criminal victimization survey. However, it can be a theoretical explanation to answer such a high level of concern.
The high concern shown by the community seems to be a matter that is considered personal. This is because the majority of individuals in the community (72%) feel the state has presented a sense of security for women and children. By a margin of only 1%, the higher male group approved this statement with 73% of the vote, and the lower female group approved this statement with 71% of the vote.
This finding is an anomaly because it contradicts aspects of perceptions of security that are part of the fear of crime (fear of crime). This can be explained When we can observe the victimizing nature of the violence itself. Violence against women and children often occurs in private spaces and is perpetrated by those closest to the victim. Data from Komnas Perempuan and the Crime Victim Management Agency have shown the nature of such victimization.
Komnas Perempuan recorded complaints of violence against women in the personal space as many as 2,098 complaints or 61% of the total. Meanwhile, the Service Board recorded an almost four times larger number with 8,172 complaints or 83%. With the experience of violence taking place in personal spaces, it can be assumed that many individuals from the community then see the problem of violence as a personal problem. Individuals are then unconsciously influenced by the illusion of victimization of violence so as to separate the role of the state and institutions to prevent violence from occurring.
In addition, the nature of the victimization of violence against women is also related to the tendency to blame the victim (victim blaming). This attitude is culturally ingrained in various communities rooted in patriarchal values and sexism. Sexual violence that dominates violence in public spaces (Komnas Perempuan's version of the record) itself is the most prevalent form of violence. Oleh Ellis (1991, dalam Clevenger et al., 2018), sexual violence is a symptom of gender injustice that occurs systemically due to the patriarchal system that oppresses.
Public perception can then disguise the victim's voice as well as influence the enforcement process itself. At this point, the role of the state should be tested, because it must show how the state's systems and facilities are consistent in providing protection and security for women and children.
UU TPKS and Future Agenda
The sexual violence criminal act (TPKS) has been passed since May 9, 2022. This is the most anticipated precedent and has proven the role of the state to ensure human rights for women. As an instrument, the TPKS law may be the reason for the public perception that the country has provided a sense of security, such as the results of previous surveys.
However, the victimizing nature of violence against women does not occur when violent events take up space and time. The victimization of violence received by women can still continue to occur until the enforcement and judicial process, as part of secondary victimization. Secondary victimization occurs when law enforcement authorities provide biased treatment to victims of crime. Police and prosecutors are often silencing agent which makes it more difficult for victims of violence to get justice, by seeing the problems faced by victims as purely personal problems. Biased practices that lead to victim blaming are still a challenge to ensure a sense of security for women.
References:
Populi Center National Survey. (June, 2023).
Clevenger et al. (2018). Understanding Victimology: An Active-Learning Approach. New York: Routledge
Komnas Perempuan. (2023). Komnas Perempuan Annual Report 2023: Violence Against Women in the public and state spheres: lack of protection and recovery. https://komnasperempuan.go.id/download-file/949
Pusiknas Bareksrim Police. (2023). Data On Violence In Children January-July 2023. https://pusiknas.polri.go.id/infografis
Walklate, S. (2007). Imagining the Victim of Crime. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education
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