Legal Protection for Children in Polygamous Families (Study in Siak Regency 2021-2024)

Abstract

Legal protection for children in polygamous families is a crucial aspect related to the fulfillment of children's rights, both from a positive and Islamic legal perspective. This study aims to analyze the implementation of legal protection for children in polygamous families in Siak Regency, identify obstacles that arise in its implementation, and formulate efforts to overcome them. The study uses a sociological legal research method with a descriptive approach, through direct observation and surveys with relevant parties, to obtain factual data regarding the conditions of children in polygamous families.

The research results show that polygamy in Siak Regency often occurs covertly, through unregistered marriages, extramarital affairs, or manipulation of administrative data, resulting in marital status lacking permanent legal force. This situation results in the failure to fulfill children's rights, including the right to custody, education, welfare, and legal protection. The dominant obstacles to the implementation of legal protection for children stem from family economic factors, the husband's inability to fairly provide for physical and spiritual needs, and weak harmony in relationships between family members. Furthermore, a lack of legal understanding and low public awareness are factors that worsen child protection in polygamous families.

Required efforts include enhancing the role of local governments and relevant institutions in oversight, providing legal education to the public, empowering families economically, and enforcing sanctions for violations of children's rights. Therefore, legal protection for children in polygamous families in Siak Regency needs to be strengthened to ensure optimal protection of children's rights.