Student Brawl in Jakarta

Jakarta is a fast-growing city in Asia with lots of urban problem and student brawl is one of the big issues that attract public. Moreover, Jakarta residents could easily find a student brawl every week that disturbing other people around the students. It seems like student brawl already become a new habit and students are not afraid to do anything that could make them seriously injured. Student brawl become a place for some students to show their power in a wrong way. In fact, some students are really proud when they can beat other students in student brawl and they are motivated to get involve in other student brawl.

            The latest student brawl that killed one 15 year-old student was in South Jakarta, as the result of student brawl between SMA 6 and SMA 70 in September. The lone suspect from SMA 70, F.R., killed Alawy from 6 when he was in Mahakam. Actually, SMA 6 and SMA 70 were in the same location in Kebayoran Baru, and this place is having the highest number of student brawl in Jakarta. However, it’s already a big problem when student killed in student brawl by other student.

            Psychologist said that there were external factors that brought students into brawl and changing the student’s behavior. Psychological test on F.R. showed that his aggressive act may have been influenced by negative environments, even though he has a good score in academic. Many Indonesian children are getting used to see violence on TV show and on the streets, drug abuse, and also city brawls that run by older people. Even the student have a good academic ability, they still have another concern with their school life and friends. Students usually follow their friend’s behavior and could easily change their previous behavior to find and also show their identity.

            Student brawl sometimes is a tradition in school and all of the teachers knew it. Students were keen to protect the honor of the school by keeping their territory from students from another school. The brawl happens when other students are entering their territory and they could to anything to protect their school, even the other students are not dangerous for them. In the other hand, student brawl could happen as vengeance and that’s why the brawl becomes a routine.

            I was the student of SMA Labschool Kebayoran, a private school located in Kebayoran Baru. Me and my friends should be careful when we were outside the school because sometimes the student brawl happened just a several meters from my school. I had an experience when I was riding my motorcycle to school and wearing school uniform, six students from other school were attacking me by kicking my bike and asking where my school is, but I increased the speed and left them. I saw them brought a small weapon in order to protect their territory, even though I was not their enemy and also I didn’t know them.

            In my opinion, student brawl could be stop by giving a student some positive activities, joining with other school from same area. Parents and teachers should guide the students by giving them soft skills that could help them interact with other students. I think every school in Indonesia are forget to give soft skills and control the students behavior because many schools only respecting student’s ability in academic. Soft skills should be given to students, otherwise, we couldn’t stop the student brawl and more students could be a victim from the brawl.