Forgiveness and Trauma Recovery for Adolescent Victims  of Bullying: An Integrative Model of Christian Religious  Education, Enright's Psychology, and Biblical Theology

Amones Salak; Vonny Ells; Luhut Lumban Gaol; Norce Lenora Saleky

doi:10.33856/didaskalia.v9i1.661

Authors

Amones Salak Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Erikson Tritt Manokwari
Vonny Ells Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Erikson Tritt Manokwari
Luhut Lumban Gaol Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Erikson Tritt Manokwari
Norce Lenora Saleky Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Erikson Tritt Manokwari

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33856/didaskalia.v9i1.661

Keywords:

Bullying; Christian Religious Education; forgiveness; integrative model; trauma recovery

Abstract

Bullying constitutes a serious threat to the psychological well-being of Indonesian adolescents. Data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (Jaringan Pemantau Pendidikan Indonesia/JPPI) recorded a surge in bullying cases from 285 in 2023 to 573 in 2024, an increase of more than one hundred percent, with bullying accounting for 31% of all violence cases within educational settings. The resulting psychological impact anxiety, low self-esteem, post-traumatic symptoms, and disrupted socio-emotional development demands a recovery approach that extends beyond mere administrative-school policy. This study aims to develop an integrative model for trauma recovery among Christian adolescent victims of bullying by combining three aspek ons: pedagogical (Christian Religious Education/PAK), psychological (Enright's forgiveness process model), and theological-exegetical (Matthew 18:21–35). This research employs a descriptive qualitative method with a library research approach, conducting thematic-exegetical analysis of Matthew 18:21–35 alongside cross-disciplinary content analysis of literature on forgiveness intervention psychology, Christian religious education, and pastoral theology. The findings indicate that Enright's four-phase forgiveness process (uncovering, decision, work, deepening) demonstrates strong conceptual alignment with the theological meaning of forgiveness in the parable of the unforgiving servant, in which the phrase ebdomekontakis epta ("seventy times seven") affirms forgiveness as an active and sustained decision to rebuild relationship, rather than merely a transient emotional state. Christian Religious Education functions as the pedagogical vehicle that internalizes these values of love, justice, and forgiveness into adolescents' lives in a structured and sustained manner. The synthesis of these three aspek ons produces an integrative model that regards forgiveness not merely as a psychological coping strategy, but also as a faith response to God's gracious forgiveness in Christ, enabling adolescent bullying victims to break free from cycles of revenge and experience faith-based post-traumatic growth. This study contributes as a conceptual bridge between forgiveness psychology, which has developed within the secular-Western tradition, and Christian theological resources within the Indonesian context of religious education and pastoral counseling, while offering practical implications for the development of Christian religious education curricula and structured forgiveness programs in churches and Christian schools.

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