UMS Students Lead Anti-Bullying Initiative at Muhammadiyah High School

To combat bullying in schools, the Pancasila and Civic Education Student Association (AMPU CARE) of the Teacher Professional Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, organized a service program called “Optimalisasi Pencegahan dan Penindakan Perundungan atau Bullying di Lingkungan Sekolah SMA Muhammadiyah PK Kottabarat Surakarta.”

The organizing coordinator, Alfian Bagus Prihandhito S.Pd., stated on Sunday (8/4/2024), “Given the concerning trend of increasing bullying in the educational environment over the past year, we felt compelled to take action and contribute to addressing this pressing social issue within the education sector.”

Alfian emphasized that addressing bullying requires a collaborative approach involving multiple stakeholders, given its severity as one of the three major sins in education. This recognition led Alfian and his team to partner with the Muhammadiyah Special Program High School Kottabarat, Surakarta, to combat bullying.

“Together, we are dedicated to eradicating all forms of bullying in the educational environment. We are grateful for the enthusiastic support and active involvement of Muhammadiyah Special Program High School Kottabarat in our program,” he added.

Read more: Silence is NOT Golden: Speaking Out Against Bullying

This program encompasses various activities undertaken by both students and teachers of Muhammadiyah Special Program High School Kottabarat. The teacher activities include focus group discussions (FGD) and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Prevention and Suppression of Bullying at the High School.

The FGD and SOP formulation activities also involved Danang Tunjung Laksono, S.Pd., M.Pd., a UMS Civics lecturer and active member of the Center for the Study of Culture and Social Change (PSBPS), who served as the forum facilitator.

“We invited Mr. Danang to facilitate the forum, recognizing his expertise extends beyond lecturing to include active involvement in the study of social problems and change at PSBPS UMS,” he explained.

Meanwhile, students participated in workshop sessions aimed at raising awareness about bullying, its consequences, and the significance of its prevention within the school environment. A notable feature of this program is the active involvement of students in bullying prevention efforts through the implementation of Student Voice activities.

“What sets this activity apart is our proactive engagement with students. We encourage them to speak up, express their viewpoints, and create products that symbolize their stance against bullying in the school environment. We even involved student representatives from the Muhammadiyah Student Association in the SOP formulation process,” Alfian explained.

The success of this activity is also attributed to the valuable support received from various agencies, companies, and MSMEs, who contributed in different ways. It’s worth noting that several of these supporters share a deep concern about bullying.

Meanwhile, the Head of Muhammadiyah Special Program High School, Kottabarat, Upik Meirina S.Pd., expressed her enthusiasm and support for the program initiated by the PPKn PPG FKIP UMS students. She emphasized the importance of such initiatives for schools, recognizing that bullying cases represent a social problem that demands prevention and innovative approaches.

Upik further added that the school’s internal teams will follow up on the insights and strategies gained from this program. “This program is incredibly valuable for schools, and we are fully committed to preventing all forms of bullying within the school environment,” she concluded.

Wrirer: Maysali

Editor: Gede

Translator: Farizal

Source: News UMS