Students of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta from the Undergraduate Program in Economic Education, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Class of 2024, initiated a program titled “Bullying-Free Friendly School” at SDN Kotagede III. This program represents a concrete contribution by students in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions.

The team, consisting of Asti Ananta, Intan Nurkhasanah, and Hanifa Luthfi Farhana, under the supervision of Dr. Kiromim Baroroh, S.Pd., M.Pd., designed an educational program in response to the increasing cases of violence in educational environments. Data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) shows that school violence cases rose significantly from 285 cases in 2023 to 573 cases in 2024.

Field observations also revealed that verbal bullying is often normalized as mere jokes among students. In fact, verbal or psychological bullying accounts for around 29.3% of total cases. This condition encouraged the student team to introduce an educational intervention that addresses students’ emotional and social aspects.

The team leader, Asti Ananta, explained that the program was designed to instill empathy from an early age. “We see that many students are not yet aware that certain jokes can hurt their friends. Through this program, we aim to build awareness and courage among students to protect one another,” she said.

The program was delivered through engaging and interactive methods, including storytelling approaches that help students understand the impact of bullying. Students were encouraged to develop empathy and act as upstanders—individuals who dare to stand up for and help peers who experience bullying.

As one of the program outputs, the students introduced an educational medium called the “Kindness Flower.” This classroom display consists of origami flowers containing students’ commitments to speak kindly, avoid mocking others, and help one another.

The supervising lecturer emphasized that this activity is part of contextual learning implementation. Students are not only required to understand theory in class but also to provide real solutions to social issues. This program demonstrates how education can contribute to creating a safer and more just environment.

Through this initiative, UNY students not only address the issue of bullying but also actively promote values of empathy, respect, and social responsibility. The program is expected to foster a positive school culture and create a learning environment that is safe, inclusive, and free from violence.