When the Sikka Children Speak

The sound of children's laughter wafted out of the house on Jalan Soekarno Hatta in East Alok subdistrict, Sikka regency. Twenty children were sitting around a large table. Katerina Dua Yovin, 16, straightened up and raised her hand. The other children fell silent.

Yovin, as she is known, began with a story about her neighborhood in Alok, where there were still many parents who beat their children for not doing their homework. "Have you experienced the same thing?" she asked. Alvira Novitasari raised her hand. "I did," she said. "The child is naughty, so he must be beaten."

Laura Maria Geane, another 16-year-old girl, asserted that parents should never beat a rebellious child. "Parents are bound to give a warning, but that should not necessarily be coupled with violence!" she exclaimed as the others applauded.

December 16, 2014