Patterns of Verbal Violence in School Environments: An Ethnographic Study of Communication in Annur Junior High School in Tanjung Morawa

Abstract

This study is motivated by the prevalence of verbal violence in schools, which has become habitual in students' daily social interactions. survey data indicates that 87.6% of bullying victims identified verbal violence as the most frequent yet least reported form. This study aims to examine how patterns of verbal violence are formed and sustained at Annur Junior High School Tanjung Morawa using Dell Hymes' SPEAKING model. A qualitative method with a communication ethnography approach was employed, collecting data through observation, in-depth interviews with five informants (three students and two teachers), and documentation.  Findings reveal that verbal violence most commonly occurs in classrooms, the canteen, schoolyard, and hallways, particularly during recess. Perpetrators and victims typically belong to the same peer group, blurring the boundary between joking and verbal violence. Dominant forms include profanity, physical mockery, sarcasm, and family-targeted insults, occurring both face-to-face and through digital media. This study concludes that verbal violence at Annur Junior High School is not merely individual behavior but has developed into a systemic social communication pattern shaped by peer culture, family background, and social media exposure