•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Bullying in educational settings is a social issue that not only affects victims but also generates diverse public responses on social media. This study examines the linguistic forms and pragmatic functions used by netizens in responding to a bullying case at MTs Al Khairaat Sindue through comments on the TikTok account @Inews.com. A descriptive qualitative approach employing qualitative content analysis was used. The data comprised 12 high-engagement comments purposively selected from approximately 23,000 comments on the relevant post. The findings reveal several response orientations, including support for the victim, demands for sanctions, rejection of bullying normalization, defense of the perpetrators, and criticism of educational institutions. These responses were expressed through directive utterances, rhetorical questions, generalizations, evaluative comparisons, and emotional expressions. Of the selected comments, 75% were oriented toward supporting the victim or demanding accountability from the perpetrators. Interactions among users also revealed negotiations concerning empathy, punishment, educational rights, and institutional responsibility. These findings demonstrate that TikTok comment sections function as discursive spaces in which users construct and negotiate moral judgments concerning bullying.

First Page

790

Last Page

801

Download

Share

COinS