Effectiveness of a counseling program to improve self-concept and achievement in bully-victims

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a counseling program on the self-concept and achievement behavior of bully-victims. To realize the aim of the study, self-concept and bullying behavior scales and a group counseling program based on CPT were applied. The counseling program consisted of 10 sessions ranging between 60-70 minutes. The participants were chosen from sixth grade pupils at an elementary school in Zarqa District, their ages ranging between 12 and 13 years, who were victims of a serious bullying problem. The study sample was divided randomly into two groups of 10 pupils, an experimental group and a control group, and pre-assessment T-tests were computed to find the equivalency value of the two groups; the counseling program was then administered including only the pupils from the experimental group; post-tests and assessments were applied including both groups. The study results indicated significant statistical differences at 0.05 between the experimental and control groups in self-concept, bullying victim behavior, and achievement on the post-assessment. The experimental group showed improvement in self-concept and achievement, and a decrease in bullying behavior compared with the control group. The study concluded that the counseling program had a positive effect. The researchers’ recommendations included adopting the counseling program, further research by concerned sectors dealing with pupils exposed to serious problems as a result of bullying; including training courses and workshops for counselors to help them identify bullying victim indicators and help them to understand and deal with this problem.