The Department of Education notes that 24.50% of children experience physical and mental bullying, including through social media (National Assessment of Cultural Development Index, 2022-2023). There is a possibility that the actual number of bullying is even greater.

Bullying has become a major issue for people who cares about child rights. It is important to have a discussion on the issue in order to draw out prevention strategy for more serious acts of violence. It is also important to understand the impacts on victim. Susi Rio Panjaitan (National Secretary of JKLPK or the Christian Network) becomes the resource person during a webinar on bullying as a mental health issue (see JKLPK you tube). The topic is important for many of JKLPK participants who cares about child bullying (children live either in or outside of orphan houses) or whose target beneficiaries are children who suffer from bullying. Bullying is a stable media exposure.

Susi Rio Panjaitan, from Yayasan Rumah Anak Mandiri, says that bullying is often interpreted as jokes or teasing. There may be similarities between bullying and jokes or teasing, but we must not be drawn into thinking that bullying is the same as joking or teasing. Why? Because joking and teasing are not meant to injure anyone, or disturb anyone or cause harm to anybody. Joking and teasing are totally different from bullying. Joking is for fun, and one can see from people’s facial expression, or eyes. “The body language and intonation make it clear.” she says. Beyond the content of jokes, we should apologise unreservedly if person, who is the target of the jokes, feels uncomfortable. This makes it different from bullying.

Bullying is an attitude meant to hurt someone or make someone ashamed. Bullying involves an element of continuity. The perpetrator will not cease before the victim is hurt. The perpetrator will even be happy when the bullied child is hurt and sad. Yet this will not stop the perpetrator.

The perpetrator will repeat the same behavior of shaming/body-shaming others, taunts victims’ physical appearance through harsh words not intended as jokes. Their acts are deliberate but may be disguised as non-intentional, i.e. by bumping, or brushing a victim’s body, or by deliberately punching or hurting the victim. Bullying may be done individually or collectively, through harsh words or behavior.
In the digital era, bullying may not involve physical body contact, and it is called cover bullying. This is done through social media or other media. This cyber bullying is becoming a serious issue in Indonesia.
Susi explains that bullying infringes on the value of Christianity. It is extremely dangerous because victims suffer psychological problems. The victims may be extremely fearful, shameful, angry, stressed, or depressed, which is associated with Post-Trauma Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

Victims of bullying are very vulnerable to serious mental or psychological health issues. Bullying experienced by a child would have significant effects on the child physical health. A punch, potentially cause physical pain: headache, or body aches. Physical bullying also affects mental health and security. Victims of bullying may experience behavioural issue. The victims may no longer want to go to school, and give a variety of reason to skip schools – i.e. being sick or other.

It is different when bullying happens at home.

[21.04, 19/5/2024] Astuti Parengkuh: the Department of Education notes that 24.50% of children experience physical and mental bullying between 2022 and 2023, including bullying through social media. The actual cases of bullying may even be higher.

Bullying has received critical attention from those who care about children’s rights. Discussion about bullying is essential in order to draw strategies for prevention to serious acts of bullying. It is also important for victims of bullying. Susi Rio Panjaitan from the National Secretary of Christian Network (Jaringan Kerja Lembaga Pelayanan Kristen or JKLPK) becomes a resource person for a webinar on bullying as a sign of mental problem, as featured in JKLPK you Tube channel. This topic is important because there are many JKLPK participants who focus on child issue – whether children who are in/or outside of orphanage, or participants who accompany children. Bullying is important as evidenced by constant media exposure on the issue.

Susi Rio Panjaitan from Yayasan Rumah Anak Mandiri says that bullying if often equated with joking. There may be similarities between the two. But “we can clearly see that joking and bullying are two different things. Why? Because joking is not intended to hurt somebody, or to shame somebody or cause pain. Joking is completely different from bullying. Joking is for fun, and can be seen from facial expression and eyes, body language and tones.” She says. Beyond the content, a person will not be reluctant to apologise if the other feels uncomfortable. This is totally different from bullying.
Bullying is a behaviour intended to hurt or shame others. An element of bullying is its continuous intensity. The perpetrator will not stop before the victims is completely harmed. The perpetrator will even be ecstatic if the victim is hurt and sad. But this will not stop the perpetrator. The perpetrator will repeat the same act/behavior by shaming or body-shaming others, or making rude comments about a victim’s physical appearance that are not meant as jokes. The behavior is deliberate but disguised as if it is not deliberate, i.e. by poking, brushing a victim’s body, or deliberately punching or hurting the victim. Bullying may be individual or collective done through above examples.

In the digital era, there is a form of bullying that does not involve physical touch but nonetheless extremely painful. This is called cover bullying. The perpetrator uses social media or other media. This is a very serious issue in Indonesia as cyber bullying is becoming more prevalent.

Susi says that Christianity considers bullying as an infringement to the Christian teaching. Bullying is totally dangerous as victims suffer psychological problems. The victims may be so scared, ashamed, angry, stressful and depressed – in other words a child may suffer PTSD (Post-Trauma Stress Disorder).

Victims of bullying is very vulnerable to serious mental health problem or psychological problem. Experiences of bullying may significantly affect physical health, if the injury is physical – i.e. headaches, aches/pain in the body. Physical bullying is not only dangerous to mental health, it is also dangerous to security. Victims of bullying may experience behavioural issues. The child may not want to go to school, and may cite all sorts of reason not to go to school – i.e. being sick, lazy, and so on.

If bullying occurs within the home, children may not want to live anymore in that home. Their behavior may become anti-social, they isolate themselves. These are significant signs that something happens to the children. Bullying may result in a child’s death to a certain extent.

Indonesia has a high number of bullying at the moment, which includes children hurting themselves or commit suicide when they are being bullied. I have a client who experienced bullying and that the memory of bullying persists. The child says that “I tried to commit suicide.” This shows that bullying may potentially lead a child to a decision to commit a suicide.
In Indonesia, bullying violates the law. Susi says that we must educate children who are target of our programs, and children around us to stop bullying. Children can be prosecuted, to a certain extent, in Indonesia.

Then, what to do?

If a child experiences bullying, the child must learn to be confident, and not be afraid of the child’s surrounding. A child must learn not to be sad, to maintain composure/calmness, and not to retaliate unless it is necessary. The child must learn to read the situation, to read other people’s gestures/behavior, and not to fight unless it is necessary. A child can avoid potential danger and develop positive self-concept.
Each has a background which pushes them to become a perpetrator. Children are encouraged to conduct a self-introspection. They are trained and encouraged to report and tell their story to parents or teachers. Children need to learn the skill of being assertive, in communication and in their action. Children must be able to set boundaries. They must be able to negotiate. They need to learn to say no, and to express their opinion. Children who are victims of bullying do not have the skills to be assertive, and they become a soft target of bullying. In Christianity, there are a number of perspective that can be drawn from Jesus’s experience.

Does perpetrator have mental problem? To answer this question, we must first know whether a child has a bullying attitude?

1. How a child is brought up. Children who often experience harsh and violent treatment can potentially become a bully. Children born of unharmonious couple may potentially become a bully. Insecurity at home leads to a wild chld.
2. Environmental factor /friends
3. Bad game and gadget
4. Insecure feeling. This makes a child to commit self-protection and insecurity makes a child to see differently things than others
5. Experience of trauma

Children with low esteem may often be labeled and stigmatised as stupid and naughty children. These children may harbor anger inside. They have low self-appreciation. They feel ugly and angry, and those feelings, and inability to interact socially or low social skill may trigger them to become a bully. Lack of discipline at home will only strengthen their bullying attitude. (Ast)