From Advocacy To Confrontation: A Criminological Study Of Ngo Actions In Debt Collector Disputes In Tangerang Regency

Abstract

This study analyzes the mechanism through which advocacy by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may shift into confrontational action in vehicle collection disputes in Tangerang Regency. It applies normative legal research supported by one interview with an NGO official and documentary analysis of two cases with different outcomes: a violent clash in Bugel, Tigaraksa, and a mediated settlement in Balaraja. The findings show that advocacy and confrontation form a spectrum of action. The shift toward confrontation begins with a disputed vehicle repossession, an urgent demand for protection, member mobilization, and the framing of collective action as community defense. Its direction depends on the success of mediation, clear role boundaries, internal restraint, and the timely presence of law enforcement. Anomie Theory explains the search for alternative channels, Differential Association and Social Learning theories explain the potential reproduction of group strategies, while Social Control Theory explains how supervision can prevent escalation. The findings are analytical and do not represent all NGOs in Tangerang Regency.