Belitung, July 28–29, 2025 – The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (FP UNY), through its community service team, demonstrated its commitment to supporting child protection efforts by organizing a Community Service Program (PkM) entitled “Peer Educator Training for the Prevention of Child Marriage.” This initiative was a collaboration between FP UNY and the Office of Population Control, Family Planning, and Village Community Empowerment (DPPKBPMD) of Belitung Regency, aimed at reducing the incidence of child marriage in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, particularly in Belitung Regency.

The two-day training, held on Monday–Tuesday, July 28–29, 2025, was attended by 31 high school and vocational school students from across Belitung. The program was officially opened by the Dean of FP UNY, Dr. Siti Rohmah Nurhayati, M.Si., and was also attended by the Head of DPPKBPMD Belitung, Febriansyah, S.STP. The opening session was marked by the signing of a work plan document, symbolizing the shared commitment to preventing child marriage in the region.

During the training, participants received materials from Dr. Siti Rohmah Nurhayati, M.Si., and were facilitated by Karsiyati, M.Psi.T. and Hasna Salsabila, S.Psi. The sessions covered capacity building, including self-awareness, future orientation development, communication skills, digital content creation, decision-making, and understanding gender issues and rights. Participants were also equipped with in-depth knowledge about child marriage practices and their long-term impacts on adolescents’ futures.

The program was designed to nurture young agents of change. Participants are expected to become peer educators who can provide psycho-education to their peers and encourage critical thinking when facing pressures to marry at an early age. The students’ enthusiasm was evident through their active engagement throughout the training. In the final reflection session, many expressed that the program had provided them with new insights and strengthened their determination to contribute to child marriage prevention efforts in their schools.

Through this initiative, FP UNY continues to strengthen its role in promoting social development based on psychological science. Collaborations with regional partners such as DPPKBPMD are part of the faculty’s strategic steps to address social challenges in society, while also supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and child protection.