Malang, 5 August 2024 – Bullying is a serious issue in school environments and requires greater attention from educators, students, and parents. As part of implementing the Tri Dharma of higher education, a group of Community Service (KKN) students from Universitas Brawijaya’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Ghea Afsar, Naurah Shabrina, Putri Syalwa, Tazkia Alfia, Renafra Rahma, and Syifa Fachrunnisa), accompanied by their supervising lecturer (drh. Shelly Kusumarini R., M. Si), engaged in a community service project focusing on the strategic issue of anti-bullying. One innovative approach used was the socialisation of conflict management skills through animal comic media.
Animal comics are an effective medium for delivering psychoeducational messages to students. These comics offer advantages in visual appeal, easy-to-understand storylines, entertaining experiences, and increasing students’ knowledge about different types of animals. The participants in the socialisation ranged from grades 1 to 5, with ages between 7 and 11 years old. The series of activities began with a pre-test, followed by material presentation through posters, comic reading sessions, discussions, and concluded with a post-test and a community satisfaction questionnaire as an evaluation.
The socialisation of conflict management skills through animal comic media offers an innovative and engaging approach to anti-bullying psychoeducation. By leveraging the strong visuals and storytelling of comics, students can more easily grasp and apply conflict management skills in their daily lives. The students demonstrated high engagement during the socialisation sessions. The animal comics captured their attention and facilitated active discussions. The response to the comic medium was generally positive. Students felt that the stories presented were relevant and easy to understand. Many mentioned that the animal characters in the comics made it easier for them to follow the storyline. This approach not only helps to reduce bullying in schools but also strengthens social relationships among students and creates a more positive learning environment.