The influence of traditional sports games on bullying behavior in elementary school students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v79.119272Keywords:
Traditional sports games, bullying behavior, elementary school students, bullying prevention, play-based intervention, traditional playAbstract
Introduction: Bullying remains a major issue in primary education because it affects children’s emotional well-being, peer relationships, and engagement in learning. Research on the use of traditional sports games as a strategy to reduce bullying behavior is still limited.
Objective: This study examined the effect of traditional sports games on bullying behavior among elementary school students in South Sumatra, Indonesia.
Method: A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 43 students. Bullying behavior was measured using an adapted 17-item version of the Illinois Bullying Scale, covering bully, fight, and victimization dimensions. The intervention involved three traditional sports games: hide-and-seek, hopscotch, and rubber band jumping.
Results: Bullying behavior decreased after the intervention. At pretest, 24 students (56%) were in the moderate category and 19 (44%) were in the high category. At posttest, 34 students (79%) were in the moderate category, 9 students (21%) were in the low category, and none remained in the high category. The mean score decreased from 60.51 to 51.02. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (z = 5.711, p < .001).
Conclusion: Traditional sports games show potential as a practical, low-cost, and culturally relevant strategy for reducing bullying behavior in elementary school students.
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