A study of Labov’s Narrative Model on Cyberbullying victim experience

Ditha Dwiastuti
502110010098
Ditadwi789@gmail.com

Abstract

Bullying’ is usually defined as being an aggressive, intentional act or behaviour that is carried
out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily
defend him or herself (Smith P, Mahdavi J, Carvalho M, et al. 2008). The aim of this study is to
analyzed the personal experience of cyberbullying/bullying victim using narrative analysis by
labov (1967). The writer analyzed the script using Personal Experience Narrative (PEN) by
Labov (1967) by dividing it into 6 sectors, namely abstract, orientation, result or resolution,
evaluation, and coda. The findings of this study are related to the participant, how she deliver the
story from the beginning to the end of the story and how the participant wanted to present herself
looking by the way she deliver the story.

Keywords: Cyberbullying, personal experience, Labov’s personal experience narrative (PEN)

INTRODUCTION

Everyone has personal experience in their lives that are different from one and other. When
someone tells someone about his/her story, they will make it into narrative form. (Polkinhhorne,
Berman. 1998) in (Rusnalasari,Z. D.) stated that Narrative is central component of the meaning
systems that forms human experience, as well as the communicative style that organizes
experiences into meaningful periods. In narrative analysis the participants’ answer has a function
as a life story.
(Olweus, 1993) in ‘Bullying’ is usually defined as being an aggressive, intentional act or
behaviour that is carried out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time against a
victim who cannot easily defend him or herself (Smith P, Mahdavi J, Carvalho M, et al. 2008).

Today bullying via mobile phone or internet are currently popular along with the development of
information and communication technology, The definition of cyberbullying is an aggressive act
of bullying through electronical form such as internet or mobile phone. Cyberbullying has been
identified as an important problem amongst youth in the last decade. in 2019 UNICEF has
reported that one in three young people in 30 countries said they have been a victim of online
bullying, with one in five reporting having skipped school due to cyberbullying and violence.

The previous study in narrative analysis using Labov (1967) approach are “The narrative
structure of life story in soekarwo’s narratives” by (Zulidyana) in Indonesia from the analysis,
the writer finds some textual ―facts‖ within the participants‘ narratives. The facts are revealed
within the ―branch stories‖ from the whole narratives. In Soekarwo‘s narratives, it is shown that
this figure is such an extrovert person.

This study was analyzed using Labov’s personal narrative model (PEN). Labov working on
many narratives taken from people of different locales and background found that there are
certain features that are common to all narratives. These are given as the following:

Abstract
Abstract, like any other abstract, gives information about the story in a short summary statement
showing what the story is about, and in this way, while having the basic information about the
story, it alerts and motivates the listeners or readers.

Orientation

Abstract, which is optional, is followed by an orientation that means to acquaint yourself with or
orient with something. So, it means that the beginning gives the basic information about the story
setting, characters and particular time. In other words, we can say that it gives an answer to who,
when and where and in this way, the listener is directed about the foregrounding of the story.

Complicating Action

This is the place where the main problem of the story begins and usually, it is in the past simple
tense. Narrative clauses are the hallmark of this section but these narrative clauses can also have
some descriptive clauses which set the place for narrative clauses and helps in bringing live
descriptions.

Resolution

In complicated action, the actions are made so complicated that naturally, it tends towards some
escape in the shape of the resolution, which is basically the result of complicated actions. Here,
the things are made easier and the tension is released from the audience as the final result of the
story comes out.

Evaluation

It is that part of a story that tells something about the importance or significance of the story that
why the story was worth telling. This part is introduced by intensifiers, evaluative statements,
and modals, etc. It is, in fact, an answer to the question “so what”. It is the particular attitude of
the writer which is brought into the story.

Coda

It is considered as the optional part of the story where the audiences are brought back to the point
of entering into the story. Here, at this point, the end of the story is signaled.

These ideas can be summarized as, the story starts with an abstract and hence, participants are
made aware about the nature of the story, then the story setting is made clear in the orientation
which leads to the complicating actions and lastly, resolution occurs which is the last part of the
complicating actions. Afterward, the evaluative statement comes and the story is ended in the
coda. (Iqbal L, Ullah I, Shah F. 2019)
In this study the author analyzed the personal experience of victims in cyberbullying using
labov’ approach (1967), the subject was choosen because the subject is easily reached by the
author, the aim of this research is to analyzed the personal experience of cyberbullying/bullying
victim using narrative analysis by labov (1967).

Methods

In collecting the data, the author using interview with the participant then analyzed it. The author
duing the interview on Wednesday, December 3, 2021, the data was collected by the author by
asking the participant and recording the conversation using mobile phone, then the author
playing the record several time, pausing and writing the script of the interview.

After completing writing the interview script, moreover the analysis was then carried out by
reading the interview script that has been writted, then the writer analyzed the script using
Personal Experience Narrative (PEN) by Labov (1967) by dividing it into 6 sectors, namely
abstract, orientation, result or resolution, evaluation, and coda. After analyzing the interview, the
writers then concluded the result of the analysis.

Results and findings

The result and findings of this study using Labov’s approach (1967) are:

Abstract
The abstract consists of a clause or two at the beginning of a narrative summarizing the story to
come.

Excerpt 1:

E: Apakah kamu pernah mengalami bullying?

P: Pernah karena kan kondisi fisik gua berbeda nih, terus gua kan dulu SD
sekolah di Kawasan yang dimana anak anaknya tuh elit gitulah
perekonomoiannya pada terpandang gitu, terus disitu posisinya gua kayak yang
 beda sendiri gitu dari mereka, jadi kayak semua orang tuh dulu berlomba-
lomba membully gue soalnya mungkin gua sasaran empuk gitu kan ya.
In this conversation, the participant explained the reasons and the beginning of why she was able
to experience this tragic thing by saying “disitu posisinya gua kayak yang beda sendiri gitu
dari mereka, jadi kayak semua orang tuh dulu berlomba-lomba membully gue soalnya
mungkin gua sasaran empuk gitu kan ya.” Which means that's where my position is like that
is different from them, so it's like everyone used to compete to bully me because maybe I'm an
easy target, right?."

Orientation

Introduces characters, temporal and physical setting and situation.

Excerpt 2:

E: Bentuk bullying seperti apa yang kamu alami dulu sih?

P: masih inget banget aku yang mulai di bully tuh sejak kelas 3 SD, nah anak
anak cewek di kelasku tuh pada iseng ke gua…tiba tiba mereka datengin gua terus
nyalah nyalahin gua terus ngatain gua pencuri, gua disitu bingung banget,
mereka terus ngotot kalo gua nyuri buku pelajaran temen gua yang berada lah,
disitu gua kan gatau apa apa jadinya gua bingung, jadi salah satu dari mereka tuh
langsung ngambil paksa tas aku lalu di hamburin semua isinya kelantai eh
ternyata ada bener dong buku temen gua ini…didepan semua teman kelas malah
ketawa ketawa doang sambil bilang kalo aku itu pencuri.
In this section the participant stating by saying that the bullying has been experienced since
grade 3 elementary school, where the participant also told the setting that the author believed was
in the elementary school classroom and in this section the participant also told what the situation
was like in the past by saying that she was accused of being the thief of a book belonging to one
of the students which is one of her friends by stating “sambil bilang kalo aku itu pencuri”
which means “while saying I’m a thief”

Complicating Action

Clauses are narrative clauses that are recapitulate a sequence of events leading up to their climax,
the point of maximum suspense.

Excerpt 3:

E: Kasus yang paling parah yang kamu alami tuh apa?

 P: yang puncaknya tuh waktu pernah gua masih inget banget itu tuh kelas 4 SD
gua kan duduk di kelompokkan sesuai polling nih, nah pas itu tuh aku dapetnya
poling di kelompok 5 pas namaku di sebutin tuh…mereka gamau aku disitu jadi
yaudah disitu guruku langsung mindahin aku ke kelompok yang ada, kita sebut
aja Namanya A nih. Nah pas masuk disitu tuh aku langsung di perlakuin berbeda
sama mereka, disitu mereka ga bakal ngasih aku duduk di kursi kalau jam
istirahat, tapi kalo jam belajar atau ada guru itu tuh mereka baru baik baikkin aku
tapi kalau guru gak liat atau madep belakang tuh aku suka dipukulin kak karena
duduk dikursi.
In this complicating action section, the participant climaxing her personal experience by saying
“yang puncaknya tuh” which the author believe that it was the most heart-breaking moment
that the participant has experienced, where the participant adding by stated “aku suka
dipukulin” where the participant got a physical abuse from her friend.
Resolution

Releases the tension and tells what finally happened

Excerpt 4:

E: Menurut kamu seberapa besar pengaruh dari cyber bullying?

P: pengaruhnya itu sendiri banyak kak, dimana pas SMP gua tuh jadi takut buat
berteman sama orang orang yang dimana jadinya pas kelas 7 SMP tuh aku jadi
anak yang kurang bergaul sama anak anak lain, tapi syukurnya kelas 7 tuh
gaada yang menghakimi apalagi bully aku, malah mereka duluan yang ngajak aku
untuk berteman sama mereka, tapi masih ada rasa takut nya gitu kak terus kayak
kalo diinget inget ya sakit hati banget juga kak kayak cuman aku yang
diperlakuin berbeda sama mereka gitu. Kalau dibilang maafin sih ya di maafin
kak cumin bekasnya itu loh yang ga bisa ilang sampe sekarang kalo ketemu
mereka tuh aku kayak gabisa ngomong.
In this section the participant finally tells the author what she is really felt after the traumatic
condition that she has experienced back then when she was still in elementary school, also she
was telling the author what is the impact of what she already experienced by stating “jadi anak
yang kurang bergaul” where the author became more introverted person, where the author
assumes that this is because the participants are afraid to get to know people. Moreover, the
traumatic experience caused the participant to afraid and still remember the trauma until this day.
which can be proven from the participant's words “kalo diinget inget ya sakit hati banget” and
“bekasnya itu loh yang ga bisa ilang sampe sekarang”.

Evaluation
States what is interesting or unusual about the story, why the audience should keep listening and
allow the teller to keep talking

Excerpt 5:

E: Setelah mengalami hal traumatik itu, apa sih yang bisa kamu sampaikan ke
orang orang diluar sana yang mengalami bullying?
P: Pesan buat teman teman yang dengar ini, terutama yang sedang mengalami
bullying udah gausah dipeduliin mending kalian fokus ke diri kalian kalau mau
dilawan boleh dilawan buat defense diri sendiri tapi jangan lawan dengan bullying
juga tapi buktiin apa yang mereka omongin ke kamu itu gak bener kayak yang
mereka bilang, kalaupun itu ngebuat kalian ngedown jangan jadikan penghalang
buat kalian terus maju, bakalan ada kok kedepannya orang orang yang
sayang sama kalian, didunia tuh ga semua jahat dan begitu juga sebaliknya. Last
but not least, kalau kita gabisa nemuin orang baik yaudah kita aja yuk yang jadi
orang baiknya.
In this evaluation section the participant or the teller of the story convey a message to the
listeners that after what she had experienced it was not the end of everything “Pesan buat teman
teman” that makes the story interesting/unusual because there is a lesson to be learned from
what happened to her the teller herself got a new environment that could accept her and use her
experience as a motivation to keep going and never give up this conclusion supported by the
participant saying “buat kalian terus maju, bakalan ada kok kedepannya orang orang yang
sayang sama kalian”.

Coda

The signal if the story is over.

Excerpt 6:

E: Setelah mengalami hal traumatik itu, apa sih yang bisa kamu sampaikan ke
orang orang diluar sana yang mengalami bullying?
P: Pesan buat teman teman yang dengar ini, terutama yang sedang mengalami
bullying udah gausah dipeduliin mending kalian fokus ke diri kalian kalau mau
dilawan boleh dilawan buat defense diri sendiri tapi jangan lawan dengan bullying
juga tapi buktiin apa yang mereka omongin ke kamu itu gak bener kayak yang
mereka bilang, kalaupun itu ngebuat kalian ngedown jangan jadikan penghalang
buat kalian terus maju, bakalan ada kok kedepannya orang orang yang sayang
sama kalian, didunia tuh ga semua jahat dan begitu juga sebaliknya. Last but not
 least, kalau kita gabisa nemuin orang baik yaudah kita aja yuk yang jadi
orang baiknya.
In this coda section the participant signaling the story has over by stated “Last but not least..” In
this statement the participant also ended the story by giving a message to the author and the
listener “kalau kita gabisa nemuin orang baik yaudah kita aja yuk yang jadi orang
baiknya.”

Conclusion

From the analysis the author can find some facts withing the participants’ narrative, where the
facts are revealed from the whole narratives. There is main aspect in this participants’ narrative
whereas from what it was started, how it ended and how the participant cope with her traumatic
personal experience (bullying). From the analysis of the narratives the author finally concludes
that the participant wanted to present herself as a motivational person who can move on from her
traumatic experience.

Appendix

E: Halo, xxxx

P: Iya halo kak

E: Apakah kamu pernah mengalami bullying?

P: Pernah karena kan kondisi fisik gua berbeda nih, terus gua kan dulu SD sekolah di Kawasan
yang dimana anak anaknya tuh elit gitulah perekonomoiannya pada terpandang gitu, terus disiu
posisinya gua kayak yang beda sendiri gitu dari mereka, jadi kayak semua orang tuh dulu
berlomba-lomba membully gue soalnya mungkin gua sasaran empuk gitu kan ya.

E: Bentuk bullying seperti apa yang kamu alami dulu sih?

P: masih inget banget aku yang mulai di bully tuh sejak kelas 3 SD, nah anak anak cewek di
kelasku tuh pada iseng ke gua, pas gua mau jajan ke kantin gua kan keluar kelas tuh, nah pas
nyampe di abang abangnya ternyata gua lupa bawa uang, gua baru inget kalo uang jajan gua tuh
masih disimpen ditas, jadinya gua balik ke kelas buat ngambil, tapi dari luar kelas gua liat
mereka gatau ngapain di tas gua, jadinya yaudah deh gua main masuk aja kedalam, terus pas itu
gua lanjut ambil jajan terus jajan kan, nah pas udah kelar semua pelajaran kita udah pulangtuh
tiba tiba mereka datengin gua terus nyalah nyalahin gua terus ngatain gua pencuri, gua disitu
bingung banget, mereka terus ngotot kalo gua nyuri buku pelajaran temen gua yang berada lah,
disitu gua kan gatau apa apa jadinya gua bingung, jadi salah satu dari mereka tuh langsung
ngambil paksa tas aku lalu di hamburin semua isinya kelantai eh ternyata ada bener dong buku
temen gua ini. Disitu tuh gua kayak mau nangis tapi gua tahan karena gua gatau apa apa eh
mereka abis gituin aku didepan semua teman kelas malah ketawa ketawa doang sambal bilang
kalo aku itu pencuri.

E: Kasus yang paling parah yang kamu alami tuh apa?

P: yang puncaknya tuh waktu pernah gua masih inget banget itu tuh kelas 4 SD gua kan duduk di
kelopokkan sesuai polling nih, nah pas itu tuh aku dapetnya poling di kelompok 5 pas namaku di
sebutin tuh ketua kelasku yang notabenenya ketua kelompok 5 tuh langsung ngomong didepan
mataku sama guruku bilang kalau mereka gamau aku disitu jadi yaudah disitu guruku langsung
mindahin aku ke kelompok yang ada, kita sebut aja namanya A nih. Nah pas masuk disitu tuh
aku langsung di perlakuin berbeda sama mereka, disitu mereka ga bakal ngasih aku duduk di
kursi kalau jam istirahat, tapi kalo jam belajar atau ada guru itu tuh mereka baru baik baikkin aku
tapi kalau guru gak liat atau madep belakang tuh aku suka dipukulin kak karena duduk dikursi.

E: Menurut kamu seberapa besar pengaruh dari cyber bullying?

P: pengaruhnya itu sendiri banyak kak, dimana pas SMP gua tuh jadi takut buat berteman sama
orang orang yang dimana jadinya pas kelas 7 SMP tuh aku jadi anak yang kurang bergaul sama
anak anak lain, tapi syukurnya kelas 7 tuh gaada yang menghakimi apalagi bully aku, malah
mereka duluan yang ngajak aku untuk berteman sama mereka, tapi masih ada rasa takut nya gitu
kak terus kayak kalo diinget inget ya sakit hati banget juga kak kayak cumin aku yang
diperlakuin berbeda sama mereka gitu. Kalau dibilang maafin sih ya di maafin kak cuman
bekasnya itu loh yang ga bisa ilang sampe sekarang kalo ketemu mereka tuh aku kayak gabisa
ngomong.

E: Setelah mengalami hal traumatik itu, apa sih yang bisa kamu sampaikan ke orang orang diluar
sana yang mengalami bullying?
P: Pesan buat teman teman yang dengar ini, terutama yang sedang mengalami bullying udah
gausah dipeduliin mending kalian fokus ke diri kalian kalau mau dilawan boleh dilawan buat
defense diri sendiri tapi jangan lawan dengan bullying juga tapi buktiin apa yang mereka
omongin ke kamu itu gak bener kayak yang mereka bilang, kalaupun itu ngebuat kalian ngedown
jangan jadikan penghalang buat kalian terus maju, bakalan ada kok kedepannya orang orang
yang sayang sama kalian, didunia tuh ga semua jahat dan begitu juga sebaliknya. Last but not
least, kalau kita gabisa nemuin orang baik yaudah kita aja yuk yang jadi orang baiknya.

Reference

Rusnalasari, Z. D. (n.d.). THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF LIFE STORY IN SOEKARWO’S

NARRATIVES (A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS APPROACH ON LABOV’S THEORY).

Smith, P. K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., & Tippett, N. (2008).
Cyberbullying: Its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 49(4), 376–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-
7610.2007.01846.x

Iqbal, L., Ullah, I., & Shah, F. (n.d.). Labovian Model and Analysis of The Bully as
Representation of the USA.