Legal Protection of Children of Narcotics Abusers with A Restorative Justice Approach

This thesis examines the involvement of children in narcotics crimes. This research aims to examine the suboptimal implementation of the Restorative Justice process for children who are perpetrators of narcotics crimes. The effectiveness of prison sentences for children who abuse narcotics is weakened when the responsibility for their rehabilitation is not borne by law enforcement officials. The problems in this research include two main questions regarding what existing regulations relate to legal protection for children involved in drug abuse and how the application of Restorative Justice methods can improve legal protection for children involved in drug abuse. The research methodology used in this research is normative juridical, with qualitative descriptive data analysis techniques. Research findings show that legal protection for children involved in drug abuse in Indonesia is realized through the implementation of the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law, the Narcotics Law, and the Child Protection Law. Problem solving for minors involved in drug abuse must be based on the principles of restorative justice, which emphasizes restoration of their original condition, and not imprisonment as a form of retaliation. From the perspective that the incorporation of a restorative justice framework must become an integral part of the criminal justice system, it is important to consider the restorative approach as a new paradigm that offers greater effectiveness compared to the punitive strategies used in dealing with cases of child drug abusers.