Maintaining the Social Ecosystem: An Islamic Ecotheological Perspective on the Normalization of Bullying in Educational Environments

Abstrak

The phenomenon of bullying normalization in educational settings indicates a disruption of the social ecosystem that threatens students’ moral and spiritual values. When bullying is perceived as a normal behavior, it reflects a moral crisis and erosion of empathy, parallel to ecological degradation in nature. Numerous studies have examined bullying; however, most have focused on psychological and sociological dimensions, while the Islamic ecotheological perspective, emphasizing balance, compassion, and moral responsibility toward all beings, remains underexplored. This qualitative study aims to analyze the normalization of bullying through the lens of Islamic ecotheology and to explore spiritual–ecological values that can restore social harmony in educational environments. Data were collected through library research, classroom observations, and interviews with sixth-grade students at MI Islamiyah Wiroditan. Findings reveal that Islamic ecotheology views humans as khalīfah fil ardh (guardians of balance on earth and within society) responsible for fostering relationships grounded in mercy, justice, and sustainability. Core values such as rahmah (compassion), ‘adl (justice), and mīzān (balance) provide ethical foundations for preventing and addressing bullying. This research contributes to a new paradigm viewing bullying as a form of social ecological degradation, necessitating a spiritual–ecological Islamic approach to develop sustainable human relationships in education.