Cyberbullying dan Dinamika Hukum di Indonesia: Paradoks Ruang Maya dalam Interaksi Sosial di Era Digital

Abstract

The development of digital technology has fundamentally transformed patterns of social communication, but it has also introduced serious challenges, particularly the rise in cyberbullying practices. This phenomenon presents a paradox between the ideal of digital space as an inclusive and democratic medium and the reality of escalating verbal violence, harassment, and online bullying, especially among teenagers and active social media users. In the context of Indonesian law, cyberbullying is regulated under Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE Law), particularly in relation to defamation, threats, and the distribution of immoral content. This study aims to identify the forms of cyberbullying and examine the underlying causal factors using a descriptive qualitative approach. The analysis employs John Suler’s Online Disinhibition Effect theory, which explains how anonymity, lack of accountability, and the disintegration of social norms in cyberspace can trigger aggressive behavior. The findings reveal that the most common forms of cyberbullying include public humiliation, rumor-spreading, online sexual harassment, and doxing. Contributing factors involve the psychological conditions of perpetrators, digital social pressure, and weak legal literacy and digital ethics. This phenomenon highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach—combining psychology, technology, and law—to effectively address cyberbullying in the digital era.

Abstrak

Perkembangan teknologi digital telah mengubah pola komunikasi sosial secara fundamental, namun turut menghadirkan tantangan serius berupa meningkatnya praktik cyberbullying. Fenomena ini menimbulkan paradoks antara idealitas ruang digital sebagai medium inklusif dan demokratis, dengan realitas yang menunjukkan eskalasi kekerasan verbal, pelecehan, serta perundungan daring, terutama di kalangan remaja dan pengguna aktif media sosial. Dalam konteks hukum Indonesia, tindakan cyberbullying telah diatur dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 19 Tahun 2016 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (UU ITE), khususnya terkait penghinaan, pencemaran nama baik, ancaman, dan penyebaran konten bermuatan asusila. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi bentuk-bentuk cyberbullying serta menelaah faktor penyebabnya menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Analisis dilakukan dengan menggunakan teori Online Disinhibition Effect (ODE) dari John Suler, yang menjelaskan peran anonimitas, minimnya akuntabilitas, dan disintegrasi norma sosial dalam memicu perilaku agresif daring. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa bentuk cyberbullying yang dominan meliputi penghinaan publik, penyebaran rumor, pelecehan seksual online, dan doxing. Faktor penyebabnya melibatkan kondisi psikologis pelaku, tekanan sosial digital, serta lemahnya literasi hukum dan etika digital. Fenomena ini menunjukkan pentingnya pendekatan interdisipliner antara psikologi, teknologi, dan hukum dalam menangani cyberbullying secara efektif di era digital