Strengthening the Legal Protection of Vulnerable Children in Indonesia: A Multi-Sectoral Analysis of Law, Justice, and Education Systems

Abstract

The protection of vulnerable children in Indonesia continues to face significant challenges, particularly due to the rising cases of violence, exploitation, and the lack of integration among legal, juvenile justice, and education systems. Although Indonesia has enacted the Child Protection Law and various sectoral regulations, the implementation of child protection remains fragmented and insufficiently coordinated. This study aims to analyze the legal framework for child protection in Indonesia through a multi-sectoral approach encompassing the legal system, juvenile justice system, and education policies to strengthen protection for vulnerable children. This research employs a normative legal research method using statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches to examine national legal instruments and international standards on child protection. The data are analyzed qualitatively, focusing on regulatory synchronization and policy implementation effectiveness. The findings indicate that regulatory fragmentation and weak institutional coordination hinder effective child protection, resulting in suboptimal prevention of violence and exploitation. Strengthening cross-sector policy integration, enhancing a child-centered juvenile justice system, and reinforcing the education system as a primary preventive mechanism are urgently needed. This study recommends comprehensive policy reform based on a child-rights approach to establish a more effective and sustainable protection system.