THE CONTRIBUTION OF UNICEF INDONESIA TO PROTECT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AGAINST ADOLESCENT BULLYING: CASE STUDY OF PILOT TESTING ROOTS PROGRAM IN SOUTH SULAWESI (2016 – 2018)

Abstract

Bullying is a deviant behaviour that can affect the development of children and adolescents. This behaviour not only affects the victim, but perpetrators and eye witnesses are also affected by this deviant behaviour. Most children still do not understand the forms of bullying, they only understand that bullying occurs in the form of hitting, while bullying can take the form of physical and verbal abuse. In response to this, UNICEF Indonesia as an international organization that focuses on protecting children's rights and fulfilling the development potential of children and adolescents, took the initiative to pilot the ROOTS Indonesia program in South Sulawesi and Central Java. This anti-bullying piloting program was carried out to find out how effectively this program could be implemented in Indonesian schools. In its implementation, UNICEF Indonesia collaborated with several partners such as local community organizations, local government agencies, and schools for piloting programs. After the end of the pilot program in South Sulawesi, the number of reports of bullying decreased by 29% and victimization by 20%. This qualitative research method was conducted to determine the role of UNICEF Indonesia as an international organization in protecting children's rights through its programs.