Online games and youth victimization: a Dual Catalyst Model of crime in Indonesia

This study explores how online games contribute to the victimization of children and adolescents in Indonesia. Drawing from 132 Supreme Court rulings (2018–2024) involving games like Garena Free Fire, Mobile Legends, and PUBG, two catalytic functions are identified. First, consistent with Ferguson’s Catalyst Model, games act as force catalysts by amplifying aggression in predisposed individuals. Second, they serve as contextual catalysts, enabling grooming, exploitation, and fraud within interactive digital spaces. To explain this dual role, the study introduces the Dual Catalyst Model, combining Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality with Galtung’s theory of structural violence. The model highlights how socio-economic stressors, poor digital literacy, and weak safeguards increase children’s vulnerability in game-based environments. Offering a non-Western perspective on digital harm, the findings emphasize the need for culturally grounded child protection strategies. Policy recommendations include digital literacy programs, stronger parental mediation, and improved accountability from gaming platforms to enhance safety for young users.