Conquering fear: reclaiming children’s agency on sexual violence cases in North Lombok, Indonesia

This Participatory Action Research (PAR)-inspired research explores SVAC in North Lombok and the hindrances that prevent children from disclosing SVAC or partaking in decision-making processes to tackle the issue. The empirical data consists of PAR task-based activities where ten children (age 14-18) from Sigar Penjalin and Medana villages reflect on their agency in SVAC with the help of photographs and videos they had themselves taken and recorded. By drawing from concepts of children’s agency and a Children’s Rights-Based Approach (CRBA), I argue that the current SVAC reporting mechanism in North Lombok does not reinforce CRBA, on the one hand, and contend with a low expectation of children to reclaim their agency (be discriminated, victimized, or not given the opportunity because they are just children), on the other. The experience of Sigar Penjalin and Medana villages confirms that CRBA is still far from being implemented in the case of SVAC in North Lombok. Therefore, children’s participation and agency are vital to take into account in re-designing the meaning of safe space/enable the environment and enforce their voices in the new reporting mechanism of SVAC. This research calls for more comprehensive strategies to address SVAC in North Lombok. To advance child protection, children’s agency and social inclusion must be nurtured by expanding children’s opportunities and capabilities instead of restricting them.