The Role of Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat (Puskesmas) in Early Detection of Violence Against Children

Abstract

Cases of violence against children in Indonesia are increasing year by year. In an effort to fulfill the mandate of Law No. 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to the Child Protection Act, the Indonesian government has provided health care facilities at the basic level, namely the Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat (Puskesmas) which plays a role in child protection. Early detection by Puskesmas through their health workers is one of the keys to reducing the incidence of violence against children because health workers are often the first person to deal with victims of violence against children due to their health problems. This study aims to determine the role of Puskesmas in early detection of violence against children. This study uses literature studies on documents that are closely related to the role of the health center, as well as interviews with selected respondents. The results show that the role of the Puskesmas in detecting violence against children early has not fully fulfilled the mandate of Law No. 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to the Child Protection Act. Keywords—the role of Puskesmas; early detection; violence against children