AN ANALYSIS OF THE WENSEN SCHOOL DEPOK INDONESIA CASE: A PARENTING THEORY PERSPECTIVE ON DAYCARE PRACTICES

Abstract

The child abuse case at Wensen School in Depok involving Meita Irianty, a daycare owner and parenting influencer, generated national concern regarding the integrity of caregiving practices in early childhood institutions. The paradox lies in the disjunction between public authority in parenting discourse and the alleged perpetration of severe physical violence against toddlers aged two to three years. This article examines how extreme authoritarian control, when detached from emotional responsiveness, may deteriorate into physical abuse, and how such acts intersect with broader systemic vulnerabilities. Employing a descriptive qualitative case study design, the analysis draws upon court documents and verified public reports, interpreted through six complementary frameworks: Attachment Theory, Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory, Social Learning Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Parenting Styles Theory, and the concept of Empathic Communication. The findings indicate that the incident reflects not only individual misconduct but also disrupted attachment formation, psychosocial developmental risks, learned patterns of aggression, and regulatory deficiencies within institutional and policy environments. The study argues that child protection in daycare settings requires a multidimensional response encompassing trauma-informed intervention, professional certification and training for caregivers, and strengthened national oversight mechanisms. Child abuse, therefore, should be understood as a systemic failure of caregiving ecology rather than merely an isolated moral deviation