Character Education Values in Adolescents’ Upstander Behavior Against Cyberbullying on TikTok
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21831/foundasia.v16i2.94386Abstract
This study aims to identify character education values that shape adolescents’ upstander behavior toward cyberbullying on TikTok, with a particular focus on adolescents in rural communities. Cyberbullying, especially on social media platforms such as TikTok, has become a serious issue with significant impacts on adolescents’ mental and social well-being. Although many adolescents recognize cyberbullying as inappropriate behavior, a gap frequently exists between moral understanding and actual behavior. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with 15 adolescents aged 12 to 18 who were active TikTok users and had witnessed or been involved in cyberbullying situations. The findings indicate that although most adolescents understand cyberbullying as morally wrong (moral knowing), not all of them act as upstanders (moral action) due to strong social influences, such as fear of social exclusion or uncertainty about how to respond appropriately. Furthermore, empathy (moral feeling) arising from concern for victims does not always translate into action. Limited digital literacy and inadequate infrastructure in rural communities further exacerbate adolescents’ responses to cyberbullying. This study concludes that effective character education should integrate Lickona’s moral dimensions with digital literacy to foster adolescents who are more responsive to cyberbullying. These findings are significant for the development of educational policies that support adolescents’ active roles in addressing cyberbullying in the digital era.
References
REFERENCES
Awad, M. N., & Connors, E. H. (2023). Active bystandership by youth in the digital era: Microintervention strategies for responding to social media-based microaggressions and cyberbullying. Psychological Services, 20(3), 423–434. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000749
Berkowitz, M. W. (2021). PRIMED for Character Education: Six Design Principles for School Improvement. Routledge.
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206
Chan, T. K. H., Cheung, C. M. K., & Lee, Z. W. Y. (2021). Cyberbullying on social networking sites: A literature review and future research directions. Information & Management, 58(2), 103411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2020.103411
Chu, X., Zhao, Y., Gao, L., & Wang, Y. (2025). Moral Identity and Bystander Behavior in Cyberbullying: The Roles of Moral Outrage and Online Interpersonal Trust. Victims & Offenders, 20(4), 631–649. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2023.2171170
Clark, M., & Bussey, K. (2020). The role of self-efficacy in defending cyberbullying victims. Computers in Human Behavior, 109, 106340. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106340
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2024). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Sixth edit). SAGE.
Domínguez-Hernández, F., Bonel, L., & Martínez-González, A. (2018). A systematic literature review of factors that moderate bystanders’ actions in cyberbullying. In Cyberpsychology (Vol. 12, Issue 4 Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2018-4-1
Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 1(13), 93–106. http://files/967/Eshet-Alkalai - Digital Literacy A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era.pdf
Huang, L., Li, W., Xu, Z., Sun, H., Ai, D., Hu, Y., Wang, S., Li, Y., & Zhou, Y. (2023). The Severity of Cyberbullying Affects Bystander Intervention Among College Students: The Roles of Feelings of Responsibility and Empathy. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 893–903. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S397770
Hukubun, M. D., Wakhudin, W., & Kasimbara, R. P. (2024). Character Education in the Digital Age: Strategies for Teaching Moral and Ethical Values to a Generation that Grows Up with Technology. Journal of Pedagogi, 1(3), 74–82. https://doi.org/10.62872/8958fk80
Inchley, J. C., Stevens, G. W. J. M., Samdal, O., & Currie, D. B. (2020). Enhancing Understanding of Adolescent Health and Well-Being: The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(6), S3–S5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.03.014
KPAI, K. P. A. I. (2024). Laporan Tahunan KPAI: Jalan Terjal Perlindungan Anak, Ancaman Serius Generasi Emas Indonesia.
Leung, A. N. M. (2021). To Help or Not to Help: Intervening in Cyberbullying Among Chinese Cyber-Bystanders. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.483250
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. Bantam Books.
Liu, S., Wang, P., Gao, W., Song, M., & Zhang, N. (2025). Virtuous personality and bystander defending behavior among college students: roles of moral identity and friendship quality. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 729. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03058-4
Liu, Y., Yu, X., An, F., & Wang, Y. (2023). School bullying and self-efficacy in adolescence: A meta-analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 95(8), 1541–1552.
Lukács J., Á., Takács, J., Soósné Kiss, Z., Kapitány-Fövény, M., Falus, A., & Feith, H. J. (2023). The Effects of a Cyberbullying Intervention Programme Among Primary School Students. Child & Youth Care Forum, 52(4), 893–911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-022-09714-9
Mateus Francisco, S., Costa Ferreira, P., Veiga Simão, A. M., & Salgado Pereira, N. (2024). Moral disengagement and empathy in cyberbullying: how they are related in reflection activities about a serious game. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 168. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01582-3
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. C. N.-H. . M. 2014. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (Third edit). SAGE Publications, Inc. http://files/514/Miles et al. - 2014 - Qualitative data analysis a methods sourcebook.pdf
Moļņika, B. (2023). Bystanders in Bullying Situations in Schools. Does it Matter? Literature Review. Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2023, 117–126. https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2023.08
Munawarsyah, M., Fakhrurridha, H., & Muqowim, M. (2024). Character Education for Teenagers in the Era of Society 5.0 Thomas Lickona’s Perspective. EDUKASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 5(2), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.62775/edukasia.v5i2.984
Murphy, A. G. (2009). Dealing with Bullying. Infobase Publishing.
Ng, W. (2012). Can We Teach Digital Natives Digital Literacy? Computers & Education, 59(3), 1065–1078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016
Patrick, R. B., Rote, W. M., Gibbs, J. C., & Basinger, K. S. (2019). Defend, Stand By, or Join In?: The Relative Influence of Moral Identity, Moral Judgment, and Social Self-Efficacy on Adolescents’ Bystander Behaviors in Bullying Situations. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(10), 2051–2064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01089-w
Polanco-Levicán, K., & Salvo-Garrido, S. (2021). Bystander Roles in Cyberbullying: A Mini-Review of Who, How Many, and Why. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 101646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.676787
Prabowo, C. D. (2024). Moral Values in Digital Learning: Applying Thomas Lickona’s Framework in Online Higher Education. Journal of Islamic Education Management Research, 2(2), 165–180. https://doi.org/10.14421/jiemr.2024.22-07
Priatama, R., Onitsuka, K., Rustiadi, E., & Hoshino, S. (2019). Social Interaction of Indonesian Rural Youths in the Internet Age. Sustainability, 12(1), 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010115
Rasyid, A., Maimanah, Nuqul, F. L., Rahayu, I. T., & Ridho, A. (2023). Cyberbullying ditinjau dari Kontrol Diri dan Regulasi Emosi. Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi, 14(2), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.29080/jpp.v14i2.1044
Ratri, S. Y., & Aviyanti, L. (2025). Unlocking Digital Literacy in Indonesia: Insights from the Use of Social Media Platforms. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 13(1), 191–200. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v13i1.83433
Richard, C. M., Musa, N., & Ninggal, M. T. (2025). From Intention To Action: A Conceptual Model Of Cyberstander Intervention In Tiktok Cyberbullying Among Malaysian Youth. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, IX(IX), 4453–4463. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.909000364
Sanusi, H. Z., & Sugandi, M. S. (2020). Peran Komunikasi Keluarga Dalam Perilaku Cyberbullying Pada Remaja. ETTISAL : Journal of Communication, 5(2), 271–289. https://doi.org/10.21111/ejoc.v5i2.4440
Sari, D. F. K. (2025). The Influence of TikTok Social Media on Adolescent Social Behavior in the Digital Era: A Case Study in Kendari City. Sinergi International Journal of Communication Sciences, 3(2), 127–140. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijcs.v3i2.757
Shen, Y., Yuan, L., Xiong, X., & Xin, T. (2022). Empathy and cyberbystander behavior: The role of moral disengagement. Current Psychology, 42, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03015-z
Shinta, S., & Khilmiyah, A. (2024). The Poison of Cyberbullying in Destroying Children’s Sense of Empathy. In Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora (Vol. 13, Issue 3, pp. 602–612). https://doi.org/10.23887/jish.v13i3.82364
Sugiyono. (2021). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Tantri, K. S., Aqilla, N. A., & Sukmawati, A. (2023). Pendidikan Karakter di Era Digital: Mengajarkan Etika dan Tanggung Jawab dalam Penggunaan Sosial Media. In Anwarul (Vol. 3, Issue 4, pp. 662–675). https://doi.org/10.58578/anwarul.v3i4.1278
UNESCO. (2021). Global education monitoring report summary, 2021/2: non-state actors in education: who chooses? who loses? UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380076
Widodo, B. S., Budiati, A. C., Octavianto, D. A., Lestari, A. P., & Silva, P. M. (2021). The Influence Of Social Media On The Resilience Of Rural Communities During The Covid-19 Pandemic. The Journal of Society and Media, 5(2), 311–329. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v5n2.p311-329
Wong, R. Y. M., Cheung, C. M. K., Xiao, B., & Thatcher, J. B. (2021). Standing Up or Standing By: Understanding Bystanders’ Proactive Reporting Responses to Social Media Harassment. Information Systems Research, 32(2), 561–581. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2020.0983
Zhao, L., & Yu, J. (2021). A Meta-Analytic Review of Moral Disengagement and Cyberbullying. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.681299
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
 | ProGCouns: Professional Guidance and Counseling Journal by https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/progcouns is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. |
