A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ROLE-PLAY MODEL FOSTERS ANTI-BULLYING AWARENESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Abstract

Bullying behaviours can emerge as early as preschool and have lasting socio-emotional consequences. Yet few Indonesian early-childhood interventions explicitly cultivate anti-bullying awareness through structured, developmentally appropriate play. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Social-Emotional Role-Play Model (SERPM) in increasing anti-bullying awareness among children aged 5 – 6 years in Bekasi, West Java. The intervention was implemented across six public and private kindergartens that serve diverse socio-economic communities in Bekasi. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods design compared an intervention group (n = 62) receiving eight weekly SERPM sessions with a wait-list control group (n = 60). Quantitative data were collected before and after the intervention using the Preschool Bullying Awareness Scale and systematic playground observations. Qualitative insights were gathered through teacher focus-group discussions and child drawings. Independent-samples t-tests and ANCOVA assessed between-group differences, while thematic analysis explored participant experiences. Ethical approval (#2025-ECE-07) and informed parental consent were obtained. After controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group showed a statistically significant increase in bullying-awareness scores (mean Δ = +14.7, p < 0.001, d = 0.85) and a 36 % reduction in observed aggressive acts compared with controls. Qualitative findings revealed enhanced vocabulary related to empathy, confident bystander responses, and teacher reports of an improved classroom climate. The SERPM proved both feasible and effective in fostering anti-bullying awareness and pro-social behaviours in Indonesian early-childhood settings. By integrating culturally attuned role-play with social-emotional learning principles, this study offers the first empirical evidence for a locally adapted, play-based anti-bullying programme in Indonesia, informing practitioners, policymakers, and researchers committed to violence-free early education.