Peer Interactions and Bullying Experiences in Mosque Settings During Ramadan: A Qualitative Study Using Thematic Analysis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study explores children's experiences of peer interactions and bullying in mosque environments during the holy month of Ramadan in Indonesia.While mosques are commonly perceived as safe and morally guided spaces, children's participation in religious activities also creates opportunities for complex social dynamics to emerge.Using a qualitative design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and document analysis involving children, adult congregants, and mosque leaders.Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterned meanings across participants' accounts and contextual data.The findings indicate that peer interactions in mosque settings are characterized by both positive social engagement and the presence of verbal, physical, and relationally exclusionary behaviors.These actions are often interpreted by children as part of everyday play, making it difficult to distinguish between harmless interaction and harmful conduct.As a result, many children respond through silence, avoidance, or withdrawal, reflecting limited access to supportive mechanisms within the environment.Within the female participants included in this study, no bullying-related cases were identified during the fieldwork period.Female prayer spaces were described as more closely supervised, but this pattern is treated as context-specific and is not generalized beyond the present sample.Institutional responses remain largely reactive, with limited structured strategies to address children's social behavior.By situating bullying-related peer aggression within a religious and community-based context, this study contributes to a broader understanding of how peer interactions are shaped by cultural norms, social structures, supervision, and temporal conditions such as Ramadan.The findings highlight the importance of developing context-sensitive approaches to support children's well-being and promote safe and respectful interactions in religious spaces.
Source: Asian Journal of Human Services
Institutions: State University of Malang, Sultan Idris Education University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214712271