The Effect of the Self-compassion Development Program on Bullying and Victimization in Middle School Students

Plain-language summary

Violence in schools is an important public health problem affecting the health and safety of schools. Peer bullying, which is a common form of school violence, is defined as the behaviour of a bully person or group that deliberately hurts and upsets a person who is weaker than him/her more than once and causes stress in the person exposed to this situation. In peer bullying, there are roles as victim, bully and audience. Bullying has serious consequences on children in all roles. It affects both health and academic success. There are individual, familial, school-related and environmental reasons for peer bullying. There is a significant increase in the rates of peer bullying both in the world and in our country. It is most common in the middle school period among school periods. Self-compassion, a protective factor for individuals, can be expressed as the understanding they show to themselves in the face of negative situations they have encountered throughout their lives. Individuals with self-compassion can approach themselves with love and compassion when they make mistakes or face difficulties in life, thinking that this situation is unique to human beings. When the common characteristics of bullies and victims are examined, it is seen that they experience depression and anxiety, are angry and cannot communicate effectively. Not criticising oneself if it is destructive and cruel, having a compassionate attitude towards oneself protects the individual from negative feelings and thoughts, improves self-esteem and leads to a decrease in depression and anxiety. It is seen that people with high levels of self-compassion exhibit less aggressive behaviour. In this study, a 7-week self-compassion development programme will be implemented for secondary school students.

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