Parade Jurnalistik (ParJur) is a national-scale journalism competition under the auspices of Epicentrum, organized by the Department of Journalism, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran. This competition is intended for undergraduate or equivalent students who are interested in the field of journalism to produce works that are actual, factual, ethical, and socially impactful. This year’s Parade Jurnalistik raises the theme “The Lost Youth: How Early Neglect Shapes Adolescent Identity”, aiming to highlight journalistic works that uncover hidden forms of neglect and exclusion, issues that are often normalized, silenced, or overlooked in children’s and adolescents’ everyday social environments.

The Lost Youth: How Early Neglect Shapes Adolescent Identity

Child maltreatment is a complex social issue that affects various aspects of life, including psychological well-being, education, social relations, and identity formation. Not all forms of maltreatment appear in visible or physical ways. Emotional neglect, lack of attention, and the absence of safe and supportive environments often occur quietly, yet leave long-term impacts on children as they grow into adolescence and young adulthood. Early neglect plays a significant role in shaping how adolescents perceive themselves and their position in society. Children who grow up without consistent emotional support or validation tend to experience difficulties in building self-worth, regulating emotions, and forming healthy social relationships. These conditions may lead to youth exclusion, where adolescents feel disconnected from their families, schools, communities, and broader social systems. Studies show that neglect and emotional maltreatment are closely linked to identity confusion, low self-esteem, and vulnerability to mental health problems during adolescence. In many cases, these young people are not only victims of maltreatment, but are also excluded from protection systems and public attention, allowing the cycle of harm to continue. Ideally, journalistic works should bring recurring and often hidden social problems into public awareness, fostering empathy and critical reflection. In Parade Jurnalistik 2026, feature stories are a generative storytelling form that is well-positioned to explore sensitive issues such as child maltreatment, as they enable participants to humanize individual experiences while connecting them to broader structural, cultural, and systemic contexts. All works must rely on verified facts and be produced ethically without exploiting vulnerable subjects. As the first stage of the competition, each team is required to produce a feature news article based on real cases related to the theme “The Lost Youth: How Early Neglect Shapes Adolescent Identity”. The article must integrate micro and macro perspectives, highlighting the real-life experience of emotional neglect (of individuals) at an early age while analyzing the broader social factors that shape adolescent identity. Teams who advance to the next round (finalists) will then develop their article into a feature news video supported by primary data, accurate case studies, and expert verification. Finalists are required to use a video re-enactment method, portraying key experiences with substitute actors, to ethically illustrate how childhood neglect shapes adolescent identity and contributes to youth exclusion. The video aims to deepen public understanding without compromising the safety or privacy of real subjects. At the final event, participants will present their completed works before the Jury. Through this subtheme, Parade Jurnalistik 2026 encourages participants to raise public awareness, foster empathy, and illuminate often unheard stories. By linking individual experiences with broader societal issues, the competition aims to inspire reflection and support efforts toward creating safer, more inclusive environments for children and adolescents. Further technical details, format requirements, and assessment criteria can be found in the official Parade Jurnalistik 2026 booklet.