Empowering the Legally Aware Community as a Strategy for Preventing Special Criminal Offenses ( A Field Study in Baru Ulu Subdistrict Balikpapan City East Kalimantan)

Abstract

This article discusses the phenomenon of “pelabrakan”, both physical and digital, which reflects low legal awareness and the dominance of social emotions over legal rationality in Indonesian society. Acts of vigilantism often arise due to perceptions of slow law enforcement, injustice, and a communal culture that emphasizes personal or family honor. In the digital era, pelabrakan has expanded to social media through the dissemination of personal shame, insults, and threats, which can be classified as cybercrime under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE). This study analyzes the psychological and juridical interactions of pelabrakan through the Family Legal Awareness (Kadarkum) Socialization program in Kelurahan Baru Ulu, Balikpapan. The findings show that value-based legal education can transform community behavior from emotional reactions to rational resolution, foster self-control, and build a legal culture. These results emphasize the need for preventive, educational, and digital approaches in fostering legal awareness among society.