Teacher Bullying and Emotional Harm: Power, Silence, and Gendered Struggles for Voice in Indonesian Schools
- 1Universitas Surabaya
Abstract
Background: Teacher-to-student bullying in Indonesian schools often operates subtly within hierarchical educational cultures. This study aimed to examine how institutional power dynamics and cultural expectations shape students’ perceptions of bullying and their emotional well-being, with the working hy pothesis that hierarchical norms and respect for authority influence recogni tion, reporting, and coping. Methods: This qualitative study employed Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 12 participants (male students, female students, and teachers) from a sen ior high school in Indonesia. Discussions examined teacher authority, bully ing behaviors, and students’ emotional responses. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, involving familiarization, initial coding, and iterative theme development across groups. Results: Participants described teacher behavior that was considered bullying, causing emotional distress. This study highlights how disciplinary practices, which function as symbolic violence, have become commonplace in institution al dynamics, thereby inhibiting students from complaining or reporting bully ing. This research offers a new perspective by linking power structures and gen dered emotional responses to the persistence of bullying in educational settings. Conclusions: Teacher-to-student bullying is intertwined with institutional and cultural hierarchies that shape students’ perceptions and coping, contributing to emotional suppression and disengagement. Addressing it requires a compre hensive, culturally attuned approach that strengthens institutional support sys tems and centers teacher empathy.
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BibTeX
@article{lestari2026teacher,
title = {{Teacher Bullying and Emotional Harm: Power, Silence, and Gendered Struggles for Voice in Indonesian Schools}},
author = {Dinna Surya Adi Lestari and Jefri Setyawan},
journal = {JHE: Journal of Health Education},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.15294/jhealthedu.v11i1.35354},
url = {https://doi.org/10.15294/jhealthedu.v11i1.35354},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Teacher Bullying and Emotional Harm: Power, Silence, and Gendered Struggles for Voice in Indonesian Schools
AU - Dinna Surya Adi Lestari
AU - Jefri Setyawan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - JHE: Journal of Health Education
DO - 10.15294/jhealthedu.v11i1.35354
UR - https://doi.org/10.15294/jhealthedu.v11i1.35354
AB - Background: Teacher-to-student bullying in Indonesian schools often operates subtly within hierarchical educational cultures. This study aimed to examine how institutional power dynamics and cultural expectations shape students’ perceptions of bullying and their emotional well-being, with the working hy pothesis that hierarchical norms and respect for authority influence recogni tion, reporting, and coping. Methods: This qualitative study employed Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 12 participants (male students, female students, and teachers) from a sen ior high school in Indonesia. Discussions examined teacher authority, bully ing behaviors, and students’ emotional responses. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, involving familiarization, initial coding, and iterative theme development across groups. Results: Participants described teacher behavior that was considered bullying, causing emotional distress. This study highlights how disciplinary practices, which function as symbolic violence, have become commonplace in institution al dynamics, thereby inhibiting students from complaining or reporting bully ing. This research offers a new perspective by linking power structures and gen dered emotional responses to the persistence of bullying in educational settings. Conclusions: Teacher-to-student bullying is intertwined with institutional and cultural hierarchies that shape students’ perceptions and coping, contributing to emotional suppression and disengagement. Addressing it requires a compre hensive, culturally attuned approach that strengthens institutional support sys tems and centers teacher empathy.
SN - 2527-4252
SN - 2528-2905
ER -