<![CDATA[Abstract. The increasing incidence of violence against children in daycare institutions reflects a structural crisis in contemporary child protection systems. This study examines the violence case at Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta to identify the criminogenic factors underlying abuse in institutional childcare settings. The research applies a normative-empirical qualitative method through media-based case studies, legal analysis, and criminological interpretation. The findings demonstrate that violence emerged from the convergence of three major factors: structural strain experienced by caregivers, weak capable guardianship within daycare institutions, and the normalization of abusive disciplinary practices. Robert K. Merton’s Strain Theory explains how economic and occupational pressures generated frustration among caregivers, while Cohen and Felson’s Routine Activity Theory highlights how inadequate supervision and monitoring systems created opportunities for repeated abuse. The study further argues that daycare violence constitutes a form of institutional violence rooted in broader socio-economic transformations that compel families to rely on insufficiently regulated childcare institutions. The discussion emphasizes that weak state oversight and the commercialization of childcare services contribute significantly to the persistence of violence against children. This article concludes that strengthening child protection requires stricter daycare regulations, mandatory psychological screening for caregivers, integrated surveillance mechanisms, and child-centered restorative interventions. The study contributes to criminological discourse on institutional violence and child victimization in Indonesia.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
