The Influence of Self-Talk Techniques on The Self-Confidence of Bullying Victims at State Middle School 11 Tarakan

Abstract

Bullying remains one of the most prevalent psychosocial problems among adolescents and frequently contributes to decreased self-confidence among victims. This study aimed to examine the effect of self-talk techniques on the self-confidence of bullying victims at SMP Negeri 11 Tarakan. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design employing a one-group pretest-posttest model was utilized. The study involved eight eighth-grade students identified as victims of verbal bullying and selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a self-confidence scale consisting of 26 items covering self-belief, optimism, objectivity, responsibility, and rational-realistic thinking. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests, homogeneity tests, and paired-samples t-tests using SPSS. The findings revealed a substantial increase in the mean self-confidence score from 52.88 before treatment to 90.75 after six sessions of group counseling using self-talk techniques. The paired-samples t-test showed a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores. These findings demonstrate that self-talk techniques effectively improve the self-confidence of bullying victims by promoting positive thinking, emotional regulation, and adaptive self-perceptions. Therefore, self-talk-based group counseling may serve as an effective intervention strategy for school counselors in supporting students who experience bullying and strengthening their psychological well-being