JAKARTA: The death of a junior high school student in Lumajang, East Java, following him allegedly being bullied by his classmate has renewed scrutiny of government efforts to tackle school violence.
The 16-year-old student, identified only by his initials MI, died on June 24 after undergoing treatment for several days at Haryoto General Hospital.
According to MI's older brother, Ahmad Dani, the death of the teenager followed a month after he was allegedly assaulted by a classmate at SMP PGRI Sukodono Junior High School.
"Post-mortem examination showed that the cause of death was a blunt-force injury to the head, and the doctors said the injury had occurred some time ago," Dani said on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
MI's family filed a police report with the Lumajang Police on June 23, a day before the 16-year-old died. Lumajang Police spokesperson Second Insp. Suprapto said investigators had designated MI's classmate, identified only by the initial S, as a child in conflict with the law, the juvenile equivalent of a criminal suspect.
According to Suprapto, the alleged assault took place on May 18 after S told MI to pick up trash beneath his desk.
"The victim refused because he believed he was not the one who had thrown the trash there," Suprapto said. Suprapto said MI was then instructed to sit on a chair near the classroom wall. Shortly afterward, S allegedly punched the victim three times.
"The first blow landed on the victim's chest, the second struck his arm, and the third hit his mouth, causing his head to jerk backward and strike the classroom wall," he said.
Following the incident, MI sustained a cut to his lip and complained of dizziness. Despite his injuries, the teenager initially continued attending school and carrying on with his daily routine.
However, in late May, he was rushed to hospital due to him bleeding from his gums. His condition continued to deteriorate until he died several days later.
Following MI’s death, Lumajang Regent Indah Amperawati pledged to strengthen student protection by improving communication between schools, parents and students, and by reinforcing oversight in educational institutions.
She said the administration would coordinate with relevant stakeholders as part of an evaluation of existing measures and efforts to strengthen supervision in schools.
“The goal is to create a safe, inclusive and conducive learning environment. We hope every school can continue building an environment that is safe, comfortable and based on mutual respect,” she said.
MI’s death came as Central Lombok Police in West Nusa Tenggara are also investigating a serious case of bullying at a local Islamic boarding school that left one student dead and two others seriously injured.
The victims were allegedly set on fire by their seniors in November of last year after reporting them to school authorities for bullying.
Central Lombok Police spokesperson First Insp. Brata Kusnadi said investigators have questioned 17 witnesses and sought expert opinions from criminal law specialists to assist the investigation.
“The series of witness examinations is now entering its final stage ahead of a case review to determine the next legal steps in the investigation,” he said on Wednesday (July 1), as quoted by state news agency Antara.
Data from the Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI) shows a rising trend in reported bullying cases in educational institutions in recent years.
Last year, JPPI recorded 614 cases of school violence nationwide, an 11 percent increase from 573 cases in 2024 and more than double the 285 cases reported in 2023.
A 2018 survey by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that 41 per cent of Indonesian students reported being bullied at least several times a month. This is nearly double the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 23 per cent among member countries.
In 2023, the government issued an anti-bullying regulation in response to the rising cases of school violence. The policy requires all educational institutions to establish Violence Prevention and Handling Teams (TPPKs) to safeguard students.
However, observers say implementation has remained weak, with many teachers lacking adequate training to identify early signs of bullying or effectively carry out prevention measures. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
