RESILIENCE AND INCLUSIVITY OF GENERATION Z YOUTH COUNSELING THROUGH A SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM IN LUMAJANG REGENCY

Abstract

The expansion of digital technology has widened Generation Z’s spaces of interaction while simultaneously increasing exposure to cyberbullying, disinformation, excessive device use, and limited awareness of digital self-protection. These challenges become more complex in semi-rural settings where youth support is often sporadic, insufficiently participatory, and not fully inclusive. This community engagement programme aimed to strengthen young people’s resilience, inclusivity, and digital self-protection capacity through a community-based Digital Self-Defense programme. The programme was implemented in Gesang, Selokbesuki, and Denok Villages, Lumajang Regency, using Participatory Action Research (PAR), comprising participatory problem mapping, joint action planning, implementation, observation of change, and collaborative reflection and evaluation. Programme achievement was assessed qualitatively by triangulating participatory observation, focus group discussions, reflective notes, activity documentation, performance during risk-mitigation simulations, and member checking with partners. Approximately 25 participants from diverse community backgrounds took part in the process. The end-of-programme evaluation identified three consistent outcomes. First, participants increasingly recognised digital risks as shared community concerns rather than isolated individual problems. Second, youth participation shifted from initial passivity towards active involvement in determining priorities, timing, and forms of assistance. Third, participants demonstrated emerging capacity to formulate self-protection responses, media-ethics considerations, and peer-support mechanisms through digital literacy activities, practical simulations, and community forums. These findings suggest that a PAR-based approach can provide a contextual and inclusive strategy for strengthening the social-digital resilience of Generation Z in semi-rural communities.