Empowerment of Guardians of Students to Implement Sex Education in Their Children as an Effort

to Increase Early Marriage in Banyuwangi

Ahmad Rido’I Yuda Prayogi1, Offa Afrilla2

1,2
Departemen of Public Health Science
Public Health Faculty, Airlangga University
Surabaya, Indonesia
Ahmad.ridoi.yuda-2017@fkm.unair.ac.id

Abstract— Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Indonesia above the
target of SDG's is 306 per 100,000 live births. In Banyuwangi still
above SDG's target is 82.3 per 100,000 live births. Still above SDG's
target of 72 per live birth. Factors that cause high Maternal Mortality
Rate include early marriage is still high. In Banyuwangi 12% of total
marriage is between 10,000-15,000. The data shows the high early
marriage in Banyuwangi. Studies show that children who marry at an
early age are at high risk of anxiety, depression, unable to apply safe
sex, thus increasing susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections,
as well as fetal or maternal mortality rates during pregnancy. The
study by Unicef Indonesia in 2015 with BPS says that young brides
often experience physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and lack
of sexual knowledge making them suffer from sexual violence and
death during pregnancy. The importance of sex education is applied
to society early on as an effort to decrease early marriage which
result in decreasing of MMR and IMR. In Banyuwangi actually sex
education has been applied, but the rejection of the community who
think this is a taboo for their children make sex education is not
successful. The purpose of this study is to make innovations by
empowering parents of guardians to apply sex education to their
children as an effort to decrease early marriage. The high early
marriage in Banyuwangi caused because parents who decide their
children to marry after graduating from elementary or junior high
school. This thinking arises because of custom, economy and various
stigma. Empowerment of guardians to apply sex education to their
children, will be done alone, and feels effective for early marriage
decline. The initial phase will be advocated to the health offices and
education offices as partners to run this innovation. The second stage
of sex education will be given to the guardian of the students when
admission of new students, because the role of parents is very big
influence for child development in decision making. Request
approval to the guardian for giving sex education to her child so as
not to arise rejection. The third stage of giving sex education to
students every acceptance of student report cards. The uniqueness of
this program, we first involve parents for sex education, interesting
teaching methods, innovation by working with health offices and
education offices.
Keywords-Banyuwangi;empowerment of parents;early
marriage;sex education; MMR and IMR
I. INTRODUCTION
The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Indonesia is above
the SDG's target of 306 per 100,000 live births. In
Banyuwangi, the target for SDGs is still 82.3 per 100,000 live
births. Still above the SDG's target of 72 per live birth. Factors
that cause high maternal mortality rates include early marriage
that is still high. In Banyuwangi 12% of the total marriages
between 10,000-15,000. The data shows the high level of early
marriage in Banyuwangi (Profile of the Banyuwangi Health
Office, 2017).
There are a number of special behavioral traits that occur
in adolescence, that is, teens begin to express their freedom
and their right to express their own opinions is unavoidable,
this can create tension and disputes and can keep young
people away from adolescence. Teenagers are more easily
influenced by their friends than when they were children, this
means that the influence of parents is getting weaker.
Adolescents behave and have different pleasures even contrary
to their behavior. Teenagers experience extraordinary physical
changes, both their growth and their sexuality and sexual
feelings that appear can be frightening, confusing and a source
of feeling wrong and frustrated. Teenagers often become too
confident (over confidence) and this together with their
emotions which usually increases, making it difficult to
receive advice and directing parents (Khamim Zarkasih, 2017:
26). Some of the dangers that may be experienced in
adolescence are variations in mental conditions and high
curiosity and trial and error, where sexual and sexual curiosity
clearly leads to a form of behavior (Khamim Zarkasih, 2017:
26-27). Behavior and danger experienced in adolescence can
lead to early marriage.
Various studies show that the impact of married children at
an early age is at high risk of experiencing anxiety,
depression, being unable to apply safe sex, thus increasing
susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, as well as
fetal or maternal mortality during pregnancy. The age at first
marriage can affect women's reproductive health. A woman
tends to be at high risk when giving birth, even if she rarely
dies in a mother or baby if the first marriage is getting
younger. (BPS Indonesia, 2014).
Early marriage in adolescents affects health, especially for
maternal mortality. Later it can experience uterine
complications, bleeding and infant death. This is because the
age of the young is biologically not ready to experience a
period of pregnancy. It can be concluded that it will also affect
the psychological of women, where the marriage of someone
who is still not old enough or underage will have the potential
to become a trauma. The emergence of this trauma is caused
by the unpreparedness to carry out new obligations that arise
after the marriage. While this is supported by the ability and
self-maturity that is owned is still low (Jefri Setyawan et al,
2016: 16-17). Not only is the trauma that occurs in a married
person still not old enough, but many influences will occur
such as dropping out of school, loss of childhood and causing
high rates of divorce.
The causes of high early marriages due to several factors
include low economy, education, forced parents, mass media
or the internet, pregnancy outside marriage or behavior, and
habits or customs (Windi Yohana, 2014). In Banyuwangi the
factor of early marriage is caused by two factors, internal
factors and external factors. Internal factors are caused by low
knowledge about sex education, deviant adolescent behavior
and premarital sex. While external factors include coercion
from parents to get married early, the family economy is
lacking to meet the needs of children, the low sex education
that is known to parents, the idea that sex education is a taboo
and traditional belief that older women mean that their child is
not sell off or spinster.
According to Indarto and Sigit, (2012) early marriage can
actually be prevented through sex education. The higher
knowledge about reproductive health, the lower the early
marriage. The benefits of knowing sex education from an
early age are very influential on children's behavior as adults.
The earlier the child's knowledge about sex education will
make the child understand how dangerous it is if he does an
early marriage or premarital sex. Other benefits are the higher
education of children if they avoid early marriage, children do
not lose their adolescence, the maturity of children's thinking
so that they are ready mentally and biologically when married,
as well as a safer and more comfortable home life later.
According to the General Chair of IDI, (2017) the
obstacles that arise when applying sex education in Indonesia
to elementary and junior high school children are the rejection
of parents. Parents' understanding of sex education is still low,
so this thinking is inappropriate for their children to go to
school, and many still think sex education means inviting
children to act or think about sex. However, also the obstacles
to implementing it are still difficult, because it requires
support from the government as well as to carry out sex
education in a sustainable manner in schools. Then our time is
limited to giving sex education to children, because we cannot
meet children at any time.
Effectiveness if sex education is carried out by family
members or parents or guardians of students to their children.
This is because guardians have more time with their children
at home so they can provide sex education at any time. Parents
can sort out which information is more needed and in
accordance with the child's development, the relationship and
emotional closeness of the child can be well established and
the child will also be more confident to share reproductive
health problems with his parents than medical personnel. As
well as being with family is an environment that is considered
a safe environment. So that sex education can be carried out
without the fear that occurs in parents.
The purpose of this study was to empower student
guardians to provide sex education to children according to
their age, so that the application of sex education can
contribute to the reduction of early marriage and the impact of
early marriage indirectly affecting the reduction of maternal
and infant mortality. In order to avoid rejection from parents
and sex education it will be easier for the guardians of the
student and child to accept it as our target.
II. EASE OF USE
Based on the results of the above research it can be
concluded that some layers of society have never received sex
education or do not dare to give sex education to their
children. Because sex education is considered a taboo thing
for the community. Knowledge about reproductive health can
affect the behavior of adolescents when dating. The
importance of sex education in this case is a major effort in
preventing free sex, premarital sex and other sexual deviations
that can affect the high rate of early marriage.
The rejection by parents who make sex education is
difficult to apply among adolescents and children. However,
we overcome this by empowering students and providing
insight into the importance of sex education for their children,
while at the same time they can apply at home to provide sex
education in their daily activities, and provide advocacy to the
government regarding this latest innovation. The difference
between this innovation and the existing one is the
empowerment of parents as our main target in providing sex
education, so parents can be aware and understand that the
importance of giving sex education to children starts early.
Barriers that may arise may be rejection from guardian
students, guardians of students difficult to understand sex
education material, and seek support from the government to
establish sex education in the education curriculum.
III. DISCUSSION
Therefore an innovation was made, namely "
Empowerment of Guardians of Students to Implement Sex
Education in Their Children as an Effort to Increase Early
Marriage in Banyuwangi". The rejection when giving sex
education by parents makes this innovation emerge, by
making barriers become strengths by empowering guardians
as primary targets to provide sex education to their children.
Parents who usually reject the existence of sex education with
this we use as an educational tool and parents who are always
perceived as influencing their children's development for
decision making.
The first stage was a workshop with lecturers,
representatives from the DHO and student representatives to
make the sex education module. The making of this module is
used to blend the implementation of sex education. This
module is as attractive as possible with a user-friendly design.
Users of this module are for parents, teachers and students.
The module making was carried out for 2 weeks in the
Banyuwangi Regional Government Minim Jinggo Hall. The
output of the module, it is expected that when the application
of sex education is in line with expectations, the module is
used as a basis in conducting sex education, and technical for
sex education.
In the second stage so that this innovation can run well, we
ask for permission and socialization in advance about this
program to the government in this case the health department
and the education office. As well as to elementary and junior
high school parties that we will use as an innovation target
"Efforts to Decrease Early Marriage in Banyuwangi Through
Empowering Student Guardians to Implement Sex Education
in Children in Order to Realize Healthy Indonesia 2025". At
this stage, it will be carried out for 2 months to carry out
socialization of innovation and providing understanding
regarding the usefulness of the module. The implementation
process will be carried out at the Education Office with
participants from the BK teacher representatives from each
school.
The third stage recruits sex education training participants,
because it is too realistic if we apply it to all student guardians.
So in this case we recruited participants in several student
guardians, all teaching teachers in the target schools in
Banyuwangi, and several students from the first or second
semester that we made as sex education cadres. We prefer
semester one or two because they still feel the atmosphere of
the education bench at the age of the children, not too busy
with the lecture assignments and the idealism of the students
not too high. Which selection of cadres will be conducted
every year so that the cadre sex education system can be
sustainable.
The fourth stage is training and sex education. Training
and the implementation of sex education itself has three
stages. The first stage will be given to the teacher and
guardian of the student first at the beginning of the first
semester. The second stage of training for students as cadres to
ensure the sustainability of this program is to continue. Then
sex education which I will do as an example to cadres and
some guardians of students and teachers. The hope is that they
can emulate how to provide good sex education. In this third
stage, I also gave a pretest to students so that I knew the initial
knowledge about sex education. Guardian students can apply
sex education to their children at home at any time, because
the guardian student has received debriefing about sex
education. Teachers can apply sex education on the sidelines
of school learning and students can provide sex education
while carrying out activities at Airlangga University Sapa in
their respective regions. And will be combined with routine
campus activities, namely the Airlangga Mengajar Movement.
The fifth stage is monitoring and evaluation. At this stage,
monitoring the implementation of sex education is carried out.
Is it in line with expectations or not. Then the posttest will be
carried out on students to measure the level of success of sex
education that has been given by student guardians at home
and teachers and students at school. As well as providing
evaluations to guardians of students, teachers and students.
Evaluation based on the results of the pretest and posttest that
have been given.
The sixth stage is advocacy to policy makers in this case
the relevant government. This stage is the presentation of the
results of this innovation trial in several schools to the relevant
government in order to make sex education an educational
curriculum. Shows supporting data to the government, that by
having sex education it is possible to be one of the factors to
reduce the rate of early marriage (data taken from the
Banyuwangi Ministry of Religion before sex education and
afterwards, that there is a decline in early marriage). As well
as allowing influence on reducing maternal and child mortality
in Banyuwangi district.
Potential problems that might arise from this innovation
are difficult to collect or look for student guardians to attend
training, during intensive lectures, I need a large amount of
money to conduct trials in several schools, and advocate for
relevant government to make this a difficult and necessary
education curriculum cooperation by all layers so that this
innovation runs.
I solved this solution to the problem by training the
guardians of the students during the new student admission
meeting, because surely the guardians of the students were
attending school. Secondly so that this activity does not
interfere with college time, I hold sex education activities on
Saturdays and semester holidays to be more effective. Thirdly,
I will look for funding by submitting proposals to local
governments and including these ideas in competition, if I win
the results I will use it to help with the costs of activities, and
open donations to all levels of society who want to share their
fortune for sex education. Fourth, I will do advocacy by
bringing supporting data to convince the government that the
importance of sex education is applied early and is required in
the education curriculum, because sex education can be an
enabling factor for the decline in early marriage in
Banyuwangi. And provide an understanding of the importance
of sex education so that all levels of government, society and
medical personnel can work together. Because there needs to
be support from various parties so that sex education can be
accepted and applied in the community without the thought
that sex education is a taboo and other objections from the
community
The uniqueness of this program, first we involve parents
for sex education, interesting teaching methods, the role of
students in becoming reproductive health cadres that will
continue every generation, education provided by reproductive
health cadres in their respective regions, and innovation in
collaboration with the health department and the education
office as a driver of this study.
CONCLUSIONS
The high rate of early marriage in Indonesia has an effect
on the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Indonesia which is
above the SDG's target of 306 per 100,000 live births. This is
due to low reproductive health knowledge and various other
factors. Sex education is still considered a taboo thing by
guardians of students, so it becomes the biggest obstacle for
us. The impact of the low sex education is the behavior of
children when dating deviates from the norm, many free sex
and promiscuity, frequent sexual, premarital sexual violence
and failure during pregnancy. At the same time it will affect
the high MMR and IMR in Indonesia.
RECOMENDATION
However, the empowerment of guardians of students is
expected to work. For the government, it is expected to be able
to include sex education in the education curriculum and for
guardians students can accept sex education. With the sex
education it is hoped that it can be one of the factors to reduce
early marriage in Banyuwangi, the decline in early marriage
indirectly reduces maternal and child mortality in
Banyuwangi, adds experience for early semester students, and
guardians of students and children can understand knowledge
about sex education.
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