Lentera Empathy: A Social Innovation Program Based on Participatory Education through Empathy Quest for Violence Prevention in Junior High Schools

Abstract

Bullying in schools often occurs through everyday interactions that are perceived by students as jokes, making it difficult for them to recognize the boundary between humor and violence. This study aims to describe the implementation and findings of the Lentera Empathy Program, a participatory anti-bullying education activity, at SMP Negeri 12 Surabaya and SMP Negeri 23 Surabaya. The program was conducted through material presentation, educational videos, Quizizz-based evaluation, student reflection, and the Empathy Quest card-based discussion, which encouraged students to identify types of violence, understand victims' perspectives, and formulate possible solutions. The findings show that students at SMP Negeri 12 Surabaya initially had difficulty distinguishing verbal, psychological, and physical violence, especially in cases involving negative nicknames, harsh words, shouting at friends, and hitting while joking. Meanwhile, students at SMP Negeri 23 Surabaya showed relatively better initial understanding, but still needed reinforcement in recognizing psychological and social violence, particularly in cases of spreading friends’ photos without permission. After the activity, students showed improved awareness that bullying is not only determined by the perpetrator’s intention, but also by the impact experienced by the victim. The program also encouraged students to be more careful in their speech, actions, and responses to peers. These findings indicate that participatory and case-based antibullying education can strengthen students’ empathy and support schools in developing a safer, more respectful, and violence-free learning environment. The novelty of this program lies in integrating Empathy Quest card-based simulations, digital assessment, and reflective, participatory learning to help students distinguish between everyday jokes and bullying behaviors.