<![CDATA[Children in conflict with the law require legal responses that balance criminal accountability with the protection of their developmental rights. In the Indonesian juvenile justice system, warning sanctions (pidana peringatan) constitute the least intrusive criminal sanction under Law No. 11 of 2012 on the Juvenile Criminal Justice System. Existing investigations on this subject matter have primarily focused on diversion, restorative justice, and institutional reforms, while limited attention has been given to warning sanctions as an independent legal mechanism in juvenile sentencing. Therefore, this study aims to address the stated gap by examining the legal significance and protective function of warning sanctions in child-centred criminal justice. To achieve the stated objective, a normative legal method was adopted using statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches. The analysis showed that warning sanctions serve not only as the mildest form of punishment but also as a proportionate legal response, enabling courts to affirm responsibility while avoiding unnecessary penal intervention. When applied through reasoned judicial assessment, warning sanctions support behavioural correction, reduce stigmatisation, and safeguard children's developmental interests. This study contributes to the existing body of publications by positioning warning sanctions as a normative instrument that mediates the relationship between criminal accountability and child protection. The results clarify the doctrinal role of warning sanctions in juvenile sentencing policy and strengthen the conceptual foundation for proportionate and child-centred responses to juvenile offending in Indonesia.]]>
