THE EFFECT OF BULLYING ON CHILDREN'S PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Dewi Rochmawati¹, Sahening Dian Ardini², Rini Sugiarti³, Fendy Suhariadi⁴

Universitas Semarang

[email protected]¹, [email protected]², [email protected]³,ï¿½ [email protected]⁴

Keywords

Abstract

Bullying, Psychological Development, Children

Bullying is a widely detrimental phenomenon, not only for individual victims but also for society as a whole. This research aims to dig deeper into how bullying affects children's psychological development. Researchers will explore various forms of bullying that may occur in schools and social environments, as well as factors that effect the prevalence and intensity of bullying. The research method used in this journal is descriptive qualitative with a case study design. Researchers used observation and interview techniques to collect data. The data were analyzed by data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. To ensure the validity of the data, researchers carried out member checks and used triangulation techniques of sources and techniques. This research was conducted at SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta by taking a sample of several teachers and students as respondents. Research finds that bullying among students is effectd by the family environment, peers and social media, with its impact on children's psychological development. Teachers at SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta implement effective strategies, including coaching students and involving parents, emphasizing the critical role of teachers in creating a safe learning environment. In conclusion, efforts to overcome bullying in elementary schools require strategies that involve teachers, students and parents to create an environment that supports children's development.

Corresponding Author: Dewi Rochmawati

E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Bullying is a widely detrimental phenomenon, not only for individual victims but also for society as a whole (Sari & Azwar, 2018). This phenomenon involves repeated aggressive actions aimed at injuring, degrading, or dominating other individuals considered weaker or vulnerable (Winarni & Lestari, 2016). Forms of bullying can vary, including verbal, physical, and psychological harassment or cyberbullying through social media and digital technology (Utami, 2014). Efforts to overcome the problem of bullying have been made in various environments, including schools, workplaces and social environments. However, bullying remains a relevant problem and has a significant impact, especially on children (Darmayanti et al., 2019 ).

Factors that influence bullying can come from various sources, including the family environment, peers, school environment, and individual factors. In a family environment, lack of attention or supervision from parents, authoritarian parenting or lack of education about tolerance and empathy can be factors that trigger bullying behavior in children. In the school environment, lack of supervision from teachers or school staff, lack of clear policies regarding the protection of victims, and a school culture that allows or even promotes aggressive behavior can also influence bullying incidents. In addition, individual factors such as lack of social skills or emotional management skills in bullies can also play an important role.

Bullying is a phenomenon that is widely detrimental, not only for individual victims but also for society as a whole (Zych, Farrington, Llorent, & Ttofi, 2017). This phenomenon involves repeated aggressive actions with the aim of injuring, degrading, or dominating other individuals who are considered weaker or vulnerable. Forms of bullying can vary, including verbal, physical and psychological harassment or cyberbullying via social media and digital technology (Kowalski & Giumetti, 2017).

The impact of the factors that influence bullying can be very detrimental, especially for the psychological and social well-being of children who are victims (Kennedy & Brausch, 2024). Children who experience bullying often experience chronic stress because they feel unsafe or threatened in their school or social environment (Strï¿½m, Thoresen, Wentzel-Larsen, & Dyb, 2013). This can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression in children, which if not treated properly can have long-term impacts on their mental wellbeing (Cameron et al., 2020). Psychological disorders such as these can also affect children's ability to interact socially, develop healthy relationships, and reach their academic potential because they may have difficulty concentrating or feel inferior in school situations. Thus, the factors that influence bullying not only create an unsafe and unhealthy environment for children, but can also hinder their overall psychological, social, and academic development (Kutsyuruba, Klinger, & Hussain, 2015).

Child psychology refers to their mental and emotional well-being, including aspects such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and the ability to manage emotions and social relationships (Akfirat, 2020). Psychological disorders in children, which can be caused by a variety of factors including experiences of bullying, can have a serious impact on their development and overall quality of life.

Specifically, the focus of this research is on the impact of bullying on children's psychological development. Children who are victims of bullying often experience chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a variety of other psychological problems that can have long-term impacts on their well-being (Arseneault, 2018). This impact affects psychological aspects and can disrupt children's social, emotional and academic development.

Research aims to dig deeper into how bullying affects children's psychological development. Researchers will explore various forms of bullying that may occur in school and social environments, as well as factors that effect the prevalence and intensity of bullying. In addition, researchers will investigate the psychological impacts that may arise as a result of bullying experiences, including mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and psychological trauma.

This research will also pay attention to the role of moderating factors, such as social support, children's social skills, and psychological resilience, in reducing the negative impact of bullying on children's psychological development. Thus, the results of this research will provide better insight into the complexity of the problem of bullying and enable the development of more effective intervention strategies to protect children from its negative impacts.

RESEARCH METHODS

The research method used in this journal is descriptive qualitative with a case study design. Researchers used observation and interview techniques to collect data. Data were analyzed by data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. To ensure the validity of the data, researchers carried out member checks and used triangulation techniques of sources and techniques. This research was conducted at SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta by taking a sample of several teachers and students as respondents.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Research shows that bullying cases among students generally take the form of verbal bullying, social bullying, and physical violence, which are generally caused by the family environment, peers, mass media, and the socio-cultural environment (Subroto, 2021).

The effect of bullying on children's psychological development can be described through several aspects:

1. Psychosocial Development: Bullying can affect children's psychological development, including socialization, emotional development, and the formation of relationships in society and school (Subroto, 2021).

2. Emotional Volatility: The experience of bullying can affect a child's emotional volatility, which can cause difficulties in social interactions and aggressive, suppressive and healing behaviour (Sakti et al., 2021).

3. Anxiety: The experience of bullying can cause anxiety that appears in adulthood, including difficulties in social interactions and various conflicts (Sakti et al., 2021).

4. Local Wisdom: Local policies, such as "Pitutur Luhur", can be used as a medium to propose and build aggressive behaviour. Local values can be used to propose and develop aggressive behaviour (Sakti et al., 2021).

Forms of Bullying Behavior at SDTQ Al Abidin Surakarta

Based on research carried out through observations and interviews with several informants, it was found that bullying behaviour appears in various forms, both inside and outside the learning environment. Various forms of bullying behaviour identified include verbal behaviour, such as calling people with derogatory nicknames or titles, calling their parents names, or verbally degrading friends (SYAM, 2022). Non-verbal behaviour, such as borrowing things without permission, pranking friends by throwing paper in the form of toy aeroplanes, or carrying out actions that disturb friends' comfort while studying; and physical behaviour, such as hitting, holding shoulders and body roughly, or even stepping on friends' feet (Hanif, 2022). Thus, the results of this study underline that bullying is not limited to one form of behaviour but includes a series of actions that include verbal, non-verbal and physical dimensions, showing the complexity and variation of the bullying phenomenon in the context of the learning environment and beyond.

Factors that Effect the Occurrence of Bullying Behavior

This research investigates various factors that effect bullying behaviour, considering the role of the family environment, the school environment, and the effect of social media.

1. Family environment

a) Disharmonious: A disharmonious family environment, with conflict between family members or imbalanced relationships, can create tension and stress, which can increase the likelihood of bullying behaviour (Alwi, 2021).

b) Lack of Parental Supervision: When parents do not provide sufficient supervision of their children, such as a lack of attention to children's activities and relationships, the opportunity to engage in bullying behaviour can increase (Ulfah, 2020).

c) Aggressive Behavior Patterns: Aggressive behaviour patterns exhibited by family members, including conflict between parents or domestic violence, can become models that effect children to imitate aggressive behaviour, including bullying (Weda, 2014).

2. School environment

a) Unconducive Conditions: A school environment that is not conducive, such as a school culture that allows or even reinforces bullying behaviour, can create an environment where this behaviour occurs more frequently (Abdullah & Ilham, 2023).

b) Lack of Teacher Supervision: Lack of supervision and intervention from teachers and school staff in dealing with bullying incidents can allow perpetrators to continue carrying out this behaviour without consequences.

c) Lack of Character Education Programs: Schools that do not prioritize character education programs or do not have effective strategies for teaching empathy, respect for differences, and conflict resolution can increase the risk of bullying.

3. Effect of Social Media

a) Exposure to Aggressive Content: Children exposed to aggressive social media content, such as violent or insulting displays, can stimulate aggressive or intimidating behaviour among them.

b) Support Against Bullying: Social media can also be a platform where support for bullying behaviour is reinforced through online interactions, which can strengthen or expand the scope of such behaviour among youth.

This research shows that SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta teachers use several strategies to study in elementary students' schools. These strategies include:

1. Direction and Guidance to Students

Teachers at SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta provide regular guidance and coaching to students about the importance of respect, tolerance and awareness of the negative impacts of bullying behaviour. They use an educational and proactive approach to increase students' awareness and understanding of the importance of maintaining good relationships and mutual respect in the school environment.

2. Providing Appropriate and Proportional Sanctions

Besides providing direction and guidance, teachers also apply appropriate and proportional sanctions to students involved in bullying behaviour. These sanctions are designed to provide clear consequences for negative behaviour while providing opportunities for students to understand their mistakes and change their behaviour in a more positive direction.

3. Involving Parents in the Treatment Process

Teachers at SDTQ AL Abidin Surakarta recognize the critical role of parents in handling bullying cases. They actively involve parents in treatment through face-to-face meetings, telephone or letters, or digital communication media. Collaboration between schools and parents is essential to create a supportive environment and reinforce anti-bullying messages at home and school.

4. Provide examples of good and polite behaviour.

Teachers act as examples of good and polite behaviour for students. They provide verbal coaching and demonstrate respectful, caring, and inclusive behaviour in their interactions with students. By being a positive example, teachers form a school culture that supports positive attitudes and reduces bullying incidents.

This research highlights the critical role of teachers in addressing and preventing bullying behaviour in elementary schools, as well as providing insight into concrete strategies that other schools can adopt to create safe and supportive learning environments.

CONCLUSION

From this research, it can be concluded that cases of bullying among students, both in elementary schools and in the surrounding environment, often occur in various forms, such as verbal bullying, social bullying and physical violence. Factors contributing to this phenomenon include a disharmonious family environment, lack of parental supervision, aggressive behaviour, family behaviour patterns, unfavourable conditions in the school environment, and exposure to aggressive content on social media. The effect of bullying on children's psychological development includes various aspects, such as the effect on psychosocial development, emotional volatility, anxiety, and the need to adopt local values as part of the solution to minimize bullying behaviour.

In the elementary school context, bullying behaviour appears in various forms, including verbal, non-verbal, and physical. Teachers at SDTQ Al Abidin Surakarta have implemented several effective strategies in dealing with student bullying, such as providing direction and guidance to students, appropriate and proportional sanctions, involving parents in handling it, and providing examples of good and polite behaviour. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the critical role of teachers and the school environment in addressing and preventing bullying behaviour in elementary schools while providing insight into concrete strategies that other schools can adopt to create safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments for children's development.

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