Family Resilience Based on the Integration of Maqāṣid Al-Syarī'ah in the Prevention of Child Grooming in Indonesia

Abstract

The phenomenon of child grooming, which is a manipulative process carried out by perpetrators to build children's trust for the purpose of sexual and psychological exploitation, is increasingly prominent in Indonesia along with the massive use of digital technology and social media by children and adolescents. In the context of national law, prevention efforts are often still reactive, focused on enforcement after a crime has occurred, and have not fully involved the family as the main protective unit. In fact, the family is the first bastion in child protection and has a strategic role in building moral, emotional, and digital resilience for children. This study aims to analyze how the integration of the principles of Maqāṣid al-Syarī'ah, especially ḥifẓ al-nafs (protection of the soul), ḥifẓ al-'aql (protection of intellect), and ḥifẓ al-nasl (protection of offspring) can strengthen family resilience while improving child grooming prevention strategies  in Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach and normative analysis of maqāṣid al-syarī'ah literature, the concept of family resilience, and child protection policies, this study found that the integration of maqāṣid al-syarī'ah was able to provide a philosophical and operational basis for a more holistic preventive approach. The integration encourages the formation of prevention strategies that include strengthening the parenting function, character education with an Islamic perspective, increasing the digital literacy of school parents, strengthening regulations and collaboration between institutions, and activating the role of religious communities. This finding confirms that the prevention of child grooming is not only a legal issue, but also a moral-religious mandate that places the family as the main pillar in maintaining the welfare of children's souls, intellect, and offspring.