The Juvenile Criminal Justice System in Supporting Balikpapan's Efforts to Become a Child-Friendly City

Nooranam Assri Abdiaswari, Fajar Apriani, Cathas Cathas Teguh Prakoso

Abstract


This study explores the role of local government meta-governance in integrating child protection systems within the juvenile criminal justice framework to support Balikpapan’s efforts in becoming a Child-Friendly City. Using a qualitative descriptive-analytic method, the research examines the interaction among institutional actors, policy coordination, and restorative justice implementation through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings indicate that the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system depends on the strength of institutional synergy and the ability of local governments to act as orchestrators that align various sectors under shared principles of child protection. The study reveals that diversion and restorative justice mechanisms represent a transformative shift from punitive approaches toward rehabilitative and developmental justice, while meta-governance ensures sustainable coordination and accountability. The results emphasize that Balikpapan’s progress toward a Child-Friendly City is determined by the capacity of its governance structure to institutionalize restorative values, integrate multi-sector collaboration, and uphold children’s rights through inclusive and ethical policy practices.


Keywords


Meta-Governance; Juvenile Justice; Child-Friendly City

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdulovna, D. D. (2024). Advancing Criminal Justice Reform through Restorative Justice: A Narrative Review. Sinergi International Journal of Law, 2(4), 274–285. https://doi.org/10.61194/law.v2i4.719

Adebobola Omowon, & Alaba Samson Kunlere. (2024). Restorative justice practices: Bridging the gap between offenders and victims effectively. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 24(3), 2768–2785. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.3.3978

Alméstar, M., Romero-Muñoz, S., & Mestre, N. (2025). Breaking Silos: A Systemic Portfolio Approach and Digital Tool for Collaborative Urban Decarbonisation. Sustainability, 17(11), 5145. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115145

Andrews, R., Beynon, M. J., & McDermott, A. M. (2016). Organizational Capability in the Public Sector: A Configurational Approach. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 26(2), 239–258. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muv005

April, K., Schrader, S. W., Walker, T. E., Francis, R. M., Glynn, H., & Gordon, D. M. (2023). Conceptualizing juvenile justice reform: Integrating the public health, social ecological, and restorative justice models. Children and Youth Services Review, 148, 106887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106887

Arintyas, A. P. R. D. A., Ikhwan, H., & Darwin, M. (2024). Protection Innovation Actions as an Effort to Fulfill the Social Rights of Children in Conflict with the Law: Case Study in Dki Jakarta and Di Yogyakarta. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4819137

Arndt, S., Urban, M., Murray, C., Smith, K., Swadener, B., & Ellegaard, T. (2018). Contesting early childhood professional identities: A cross-national discussion. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 19(2), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949118768356

Azhom, A. M. (2021). Realizing a Child Friendly City as Protection towards Children in Indonesia. Constitutionale, 2(2), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.25041/constitutionale.v2i2.2420

Bang, M., & Vossoughi, S. (2016). Participatory Design Research and Educational Justice: Studying Learning and Relations Within Social Change Making. Cognition and Instruction, 34(3), 173–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370008.2016.1181879

Berrick, J., Dickens, J., Pösö, T., & Skivenes, M. (2016). Time, Institutional Support, and Quality of Decision Making in Child Protection: A Cross-Country Analysis. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 40(5), 451–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2016.1159637

Burns, C. J., & Sinko, L. (2023). Restorative Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence Experienced in Adulthood: A Scoping Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2), 340–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211029408

CASE, S., DREW, J., HAMPSON, K., JONES, G., & KENNEDY, D. (2020). Professional Perspectives of Youth Justice Policy Implementation: Contextual and Coalface Challenges. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 59(2), 214–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12366

Collins, T. M. (2017). A child’s right to participate: Implications for international child protection. The International Journal of Human Rights, 21(1), 14–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2016.1248122

Cossar, J., Brandon, M., & Jordan, P. (2016). ‘You’ve got to trust her and she’s got to trust you’: children’s views on participation in the child protection system. Child & Family Social Work, 21(1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12115

Darmika, I. (2018). Diversion and Restorative Justice in the Criminal Justice System of Children in Indonesia. Ijtimā Iyya Journal of Muslim Society Research, 3(2), 180–211. https://doi.org/10.24090/ijtimaiyya.v3i2.1921

Ebbesson, J., & Hey, E. (Eds.). (2022). The Cambridge Handbook of the Sustainable Development Goals and International Law. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108769631

Esteves, A. M. (2017). Radical Environmentalism and “Commoning”: Synergies Between Ecosystem Regeneration and Social Governance at Tamera Ecovillage, Portugal. Antipode, 49(2), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12278

Fisk, B. M. (2023). What Are Restorative Justice Services Recording? Qualitative Analysis of Six Restorative Justice Reporting Templates for Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioner in England. Laws, 12(2), 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws12020028

Gekoski, A., Horvath, M. A. ., & Davidson, J. C. (2016). The effectiveness and impact of the child protection and criminal justice systems in cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, 2(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2015-0023

Harsanto, B. T., & Wahyuningrat, W. (2024). Investigating the keys to the failure of inter-village government collaboration in developing rural economic potentials in Indonesia. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 16(5), 100023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2024.100023

Hope Sr., K. R. (2020). Peace, justice and inclusive institutions: overcoming challenges to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16. Global Change, Peace & Security, 32(1), 57–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2019.1667320

Johnson, V., Lewin, T., & Cannon, M. (2020). Learning from a Living Archive: Rejuvenating Child and Youth Rights and Participation. https://doi.org/10.19088/REJUVENATE.2020.001

Kaplan, D. (2024). Challenging Child-Friendly Urban Design: Towards Inclusive Multigenerational Spaces. Urban Planning, 9. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.8495

Kapucu, N., & Garayev, V. (2016). Structure and Network Performance. Administration & Society, 48(8), 931–961. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399714541270

Kempin Reuter, T. (2019). Human rights and the city: Including marginalized communities in urban development and smart cities. Journal of Human Rights, 18(4), 382–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2019.1629887

Livingstone, S., & Third, A. (2017). Children and young people’s rights in the digital age: An emerging agenda. New Media & Society, 19(5), 657–670. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816686318

Lodi, E., Perrella, L., Lepri, G. L., Scarpa, M. L., & Patrizi, P. (2021). Use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices at School: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010096

Mandeli, K. (2019). Public space and the challenge of urban transformation in cities of emerging economies: Jeddah case study. Cities, 95, 102409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.102409

McCall, R. B., & Groark, C. J. (2015). Research on Institutionalized Children: Implications for International Child Welfare Practitioners and Policymakers. International Perspectives in Psychology, 4(2), 142–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/ipp0000033

McCandless, S., Bishu, S. G., Gómez Hernández, M., Paredes Eraso, É., Sabharwal, M., Santis, E. L., & Yates, S. (2022). A long road: Patterns and prospects for social equity, diversity, and inclusion in public administration. Public Administration, 100(1), 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12830

Meutia, I. F., Tresiana, N., & Assalam, M. S. (2025). THE DYNAMIC ROLE OF COMMITMENT AND TRUST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE REHABILITATION POLICIES. Cepalo, 9(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.25041/cepalo.v9no1.3695

Meyer, N., & Auriacombe, C. (2019). Good Urban Governance and City Resilience: An Afrocentric Approach to Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 11(19), 5514. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195514

Nascimento, A. M., Andrade, J., & de Castro Rodrigues, A. (2023). The Psychological Impact of Restorative Justice Practices on Victims of Crimes—a Systematic Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(3), 1929–1947. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221082085

Noghabi, F. A., Yektatalab, S., Momennasab, M., Ebadi, A., & Zare, N. (2019). Exploring children’s dignity: A qualitative approach. Electronic Journal of General Medicine, 16(2), em129. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/94093

Nur Aisyah, D., Lokopessy, A. F., Naman, M., Diva, H., Manikam, L., Adisasmito, W., & Kozlakidis, Z. (2023). The Use of Digital Technology for COVID-19 Detection and Response Management in Indonesia: Mixed Methods Study. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 12, e41308. https://doi.org/10.2196/41308

Ojha, H. R., Ford, R., Keenan, R. J., Race, D., Carias Vega, D., Baral, H., & Sapkota, P. (2016). Delocalizing Communities: Changing Forms of Community Engagement in Natural Resources Governance. World Development, 87, 274–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.06.017

Oomen, B., & Baumgärtel, M. (2018). Frontier Cities: The Rise of Local Authorities as an Opportunity for International Human Rights Law. European Journal of International Law, 29(2), 607–630. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chy021

Pan, Y. (2023). Critical Analyse of the Exceptions in Resorting to Restorative Justice When Children Come into Conflict with the Law. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 8(8), e002428. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i8.2428

Rossner, M., & Taylor, H. (2024). The Transformative Potential of Restorative Justice: What the Mainstream Can Learn from the Margins. Annual Review of Criminology, 7(1), 357–381. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-040921

Sting, F. J., & Loch, C. H. (2016). Implementing Operations Strategy: How Vertical and Horizontal Coordination Interact. Production and Operations Management, 25(7), 1177–1193. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12537

Topping, J., Albert, A., & Martin, R. (2025). Twenty-five years on the boundary between state and community: revisiting the ‘Impossibility’ of restorative justice and security informalism. Policing and Society, 35(7), 967–982. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2024.2446586

Warner, J. (2021). Social work legitimacy: democratising research, policy and practice in child protection. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(4), 1168–1185. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab021

Wenzel, M., Koch, J., Cornelissen, J. P., Rothmann, W., & Senf, N. N. (2019). How organizational actors live out paradoxical tensions through power relations: The case of a youth prison. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 155, 55–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.03.001

Wessells, M. G. (2015). Bottom-up approaches to strengthening child protection systems: Placing children, families, and communities at the center. Child Abuse & Neglect, 43, 8–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.04.006

Whitten, T., Vecchio, N., Radford, K., & Fitzgerald, J. A. (2017). Intergenerational care as a viable intervention strategy for children at risk of delinquency. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 52(1), 48–62. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.6

Wildeman, C. (2020). The Intergenerational Transmission of Criminal Justice Contact. Annual Review of Criminology, 3(1), 217–244. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-011419-041519

Wood, W. R., & Suzuki, M. (2016). Four Challenges in the Future of Restorative Justice. Victims & Offenders, 11(1), 149–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2016.1145610

Wood, W. R., Suzuki, M., & Hayes, H. (2022). Restorative Justice in Youth and Adult Criminal Justice. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.658

Yu, Z., & Zhao, Q. (2022). Research on the Coordinated Governance Mechanism of Cross-Regional and Cross-Basin Ecological Compensation in the Yangtze River Delta. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 9881. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169881

Zarychta, A., Benedum, M. E., Sanchez, E., & Andersson, K. P. (2024). Decentralization and Corruption in Public Service Delivery: Local Institutional Arrangements That Can Help Reduce Governance Risks. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 34(2), 238–254. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muad022




DOI: https://doi.org/10.31764/jgop.v7i2.36322

Copyright (c) 2025 Nooranam Assri Abdiaswari, Fajar Apriani, Cathas Cathas Teguh Prakoso

This publication is indexed by: