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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 11
Publication Date: November 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/assrj.811.11284. Setyowati, N., Aji, R. N. B., Sarmini, Imron, A., & Mahmudah, N. (2021). Survival Strategy of Street Children Who Do Not Occupy in
Halfway House against Violence in the City of Surabaya through the Assistance of ALIT Foundation. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 8(11). 398-408.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Survival Strategy of Street Children Who Do Not Occupy in
Halfway House against Violence in the City of Surabaya through
the Assistance of ALIT Foundation
Rr Nanik Setyowati
Faculty of Social Science and Law Universitas
Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
R. N. Bayu Aji
Faculty of Social Science and Law Universitas
Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
Sarmini
Faculty of Social Science and Law Universitas
Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
Ali Imron
Faculty of Social Science and Law Universitas
Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
Nasihatul Mahmudah
Faculty of Social Science and Law Universitas
Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Children are the young generation who are the hope and future of the nation. Every
child needs protection and guidance in the process of growth and development both
physically, mentally and socially. Especially for street children who do not live in a
halfway house in the face of violence in the city of Surabaya. Community
involvement in the protection of street children is also an important part in
improving the quality of the nation’s next generation. One of the community’s
involvements in child protection is realized through Non-Governmental
Organizations. This study aims to determine the role of the ALIT Foundation in
providing assistance to street children who do not live in a halfway house. This
study uses a qualitative approach located along the Ketintang Surabaya railway.
The results showed that the survival strategy of street children who did not occupy
in halfway house against violence in the city of Surabaya was through the assistance
of the ALIT Foundation and in accordance with Grindle’s theory, there were two
main variables that became indicators of the success of policy implementation,
namely the policy content variable and the implementation environment.
Keywords: Survival strategy, Street children, Violence, Mentoring, ALIT Foundation
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Setyowati, N., Aji, R. N. B., Sarmini, Imron, A., & Mahmudah, N. (2021). Survival Strategy of Street Children Who Do Not Occupy in Halfway House
against Violence in the City of Surabaya through the Assistance of ALIT Foundation. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(11). 398-408.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.811.11284
INTRODUCTION
Changes in development in the economic sector as well as science and technology in Indonesia
resulted in very rapid progress. However, it is undeniable that development has an adverse
impact on society, including the emergence of social disparities, both at the national and
regional levels. This social disparity often raises social problems, including street children, in
2019 there were around 12,000 street children. Being a street child is not an option that
everyone wants, especially for security issues. Street children are often considered a problem,
and there are no regulations that can overcome this phenomenon (Astri, Herlina, 2014:145).
So far, society is still constructing street children as a social problem that is difficult to find a
solution for. Setyowati, RRN et al (2018:2) conducted the type of attention of child presence on
the street. The problems of the street girl then led to the effort to survive. Street children are
labeled as community trash, which often causes public unrest. Public unrest begins to emerge
when street children deviate, such as stealing, robbing, brawling, and drinking liquor. This
condition further strengthens the connotative image of street children in the eyes of the public.
Many street children do not have good parenting from their families. Parenting patterns are
very important in the process of child development, because the success of forming a child’s
character is influenced by one of the parents. Therefore, the parenting style according to
Baumrind as quoted by Muallifah is “Parental Control” which is how parents control, guide, and
accompany their children to carry out developmental tasks towards the maturation process.
Weak economic status can indirectly have an impact on the mental condition of parents. Family
poverty stresses parents out, making it more difficult for them to be considerate, warm, and
caring for their children. Therefore, in families living in poverty, parents tend not to help their
children in developing social skills (Gershoff, et al., in Komro, et al., 2011:122).
Based on the Integrated Social Welfare Data, it was recorded that until 2020 there were 183,104
children with details of 6,572 children in need of special needs, 8,320 street children, 8,507
children under five, 92,861 children requiring social functions and 64,053 neglected children.
Based on their existence, of the 183,104 children, they consist of 106,406 Children in Child
Welfare Institutions and 76,698 Children in Families (https://kemensos.go.id/accessed on 1
April 2021, in Setyowati, Rr, dkk, 2021:2 ).
Street children are part of an anti-structured society that is spontaneous and is considered
contrary to the established structure. Street children form in groups because they have the
same tendencies and patterns among their fellow members, but not in a hierarchical or broad
society structure. The logical consequence experienced by street children, as a marginalized
group, is that they experience various dimensions of exclusion such as discrimination and
exploitation in the social, economic, and political life of the city. Setyowati & Imron (2016)
highlighted the problems of the street girl then led to the effort to survive. The intensity of the
presence of children on the streets is not only motivated by factors of family economic pressure
(poverty), but is also influenced by other variables, such as the massive violence that occurs in
the family environment, disharmony of roles and functions of family institutions, and the
influence of the social environment (Subhansyah, 1996:4).
Apart from the factors mentioned above, street children must get their full rights, including civil
rights and independence, the right to a family environment and choices of care, the right to
basic health and welfare, the right to education and culture, and the right to protection.
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specifically (Darmawan, 2008:28). Community elements that play a role in child protection are
not only individuals but also involve other parties such as community organizations, the Child
Protection Commission, Non-Governmental Organizations and other organizations that have a
concern for child protection (Fitriani, 2016:255). One of the non-governmental organizations
engaged in seeking child protection in Indonesia is ALIT Foundation (Arek Lintang). This is an
interesting thing because it is one of the findings of the research on street children conducted
by Rr Nanik Setyowati, et al (2021).
The ALIT Foundation is a non-governmental organization founded by Mrs. Yuliati Umrah and
Mr. Gunardi Aswantoro along with other fellow student activists after the New Order era. The
ALIT Foundation was founded by five student movement activists based on the encouragement
of street children who have been accompanied by one of the founders of the ALIT Foundation,
Mrs. Yuliati Umrah. ALIT Foundation was established on April 22, 1999 in Surabaya. The ALIT
Foundation has several programs implemented including the Rights Program. The Children’s
Rights Program is a program that aims to seek fulfillment and realize equal rights for all
children. Through the implementation of the children’s rights program, the ALIT Foundation
plays a role in child protection realized through community-based child assistance. (ALIT
Foundation Document).
The community approach is one of the important factors in contributing a model or form of
child protection. Community involvement is also an important part of efforts to improve the
quality of life of the next generation (Wismayanti and Noviana, 2011:211). In Law Number 23
of 2002 concerning Child Protection, it is stated that every child has the right to live, grow, and
develop according to their potential, this applies to all children without exception. But in reality
there are still many children whose rights have not been fulfilled, so that children are in difficult
situations or neglected and even experience wrong treatment and acts of violence (Astuti and
Suhendi, 2014: 216). For this reason, this study discusses the survival strategy of street children
who do not occupy a halfway house in the city of Surabaya through the assistance of the ALIT
Foundation.
RESEARCH METHOD
This study uses a qualitative approach with a qualitative descriptive design, with the
consideration of revealing problems naturally without intervention from researchers.
Researchers use qualitative research methods, with the aim of exploring in depth an event or
events that exist. Because qualitative research itself is defined as a scientific research that aims
to understand an event or event in a natural social context by prioritizing a process of deep
communication interaction between the researcher and the event or event being studied.
Source of the data that the author uses in this study is the type of primary data and secondary
data, where primary data is data that directly collected by researchers from the first source.
The primary data in this study are field findings derived from interviews with informants in the
field. Trying to collect data from various informants with various variants. While secondary
data is data obtained indirectly in the form of documents, which can also be said as additional
data that is used as a reference and elaboration of primary data. In the form of books, research
journals, research documents, information from the mass media and so on, regarding the role
of the ALIT Foundation in providing assistance through programs that are implemented as a
survival strategy for street children who do not occupy in halfway house.