The Implementation of Roots Program in Overcoming Bullying in Schools: A Case Study in Jakarta

Abstract

The 2021 National Assessment showed that 24.4% of students potentially experience bullying in schools. The government decided on the Roots Anti-Bullying Program to prevent bullying in the school and to ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyful environment. Students are activated for this program as agents of change to enable better communication and interaction between peers. The Roots Program has been implemented since 2021 and will be implemented gradually in more than 15,000 schools by 2023. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the Roots Program in solving the bullying issue at school, the factors that influence the implementation of the Roots Program, and the problems faced in implementing the program in Jakarta. This qualitative descriptive study used Van Meter Van Horn Policy Implementation Theory, focusing on size and policy objectives, resources, characteristics of agents of change, attitudes of implementors, communication between organizations and implementors’ activities, as well as the economic, social, and political environment. The data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and literature reviews. The results of this study describe that Roots has been appropriately implemented and marked by the fulfillment of all indicators in each dimension of Van Meter Van Horn implementation theory. To improve the implementation of the Roots in the following year, the Roots can be carried out face-to-face; the number of agents of change is adjusted to the number of students in the school; socialization regarding guidelines for implementing government assistance, dissemination of anti-bullying content to agents of change, and adjustment of delivery times for the learning module.
 Keywords: policy implementation, education policy, bullying, roots program