Introduction
High school bullying is a prevalent problem faced by many people nationwide that may cause mental and societal issues in affected individuals. This situation necessitates a therapeutic response capable of promptly addressing the bullying’s psychological consequences. The paper focuses on the practical application of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) in this scenario, drawing on information from scholarly articles on the topic. The research will assess the issue posed by bullying and related concerns, define SFBT and provide examples of its methods, and evaluate the efficiency of SFBT in addressing the psychological issues caused by the problem.
High School Bullying and Related Concerns
High school bullying can be described as the deliberate harassment of an individual by another student or a group of students. A study conducted by Ozada & Duyan (2019) suggests that close to 20% of high school students in the U. S. experienced bullying at some point during their study. According to Blakeslee et. al. (2023), the main characteristics of bullying include harmful intentions, power imbalances, and the repetitive nature of the process.
Moreover, bullying can take different forms, ranging from social exclusion through indirect bullying and verbal abuse to physical violence. Indirect forms of bullying, such as spreading rumors about an individual to exclude them from a group, occur more often than direct forms yet result in similar consequences (Ozada & Duyan, 2019). Cyberbullying conducted by school peers may also be mentioned in this category, as it includes similar methods of verbal and social abuse that can cause long-term harm to the victim.
The consequences of this issue significantly affect the victim’s life through psychological damage and may result in a variety of negative outcomes. Ozada & Duyan (2019) note that “bullying and victimization are strongly related to well-being, self-esteem, social status, belongingness, academic success, depression, self-harm, and suicidality.” Studying issues can also be a concern attributed to bullying, as an individual’s negative emotions associated with school may make it challenging to acquire knowledge, exacerbating their problems. Blakeslee et. al. (2023) emphasize that bullying has a positive correlation with suicidal ideation and may be called one of its causes in certain cases. The aforementioned consequences and concerns related to bullying make it a highly important issue in the present society, necessitating the development of adequate and prompt intervention methods.
Use of SFBT in Anti-bullying Interventions
Solution-focused therapy is an approach that emphasizes positive outcomes rather than problems and an individual’s capabilities for achieving their goals. Gan (2020) outlines the complex nature of this method, which is typically tailored to address a person’s mental, neurological, and social concerns, including peer and family relations affected by the problem. This aspect is relevant to high school bullying, as it makes SFBT capable of addressing the aforementioned cluster of concerns experienced by the victims.
This therapy is used during sessions and seminars focused on improving the bullying victims’ mental state. De Shazer et al. (2021) state that SFBT is accessible to many individuals due to its emphasis on each patient’s personal needs and its lack of a formulaic structure, which provides a unique therapy experience in each case. This method identifies resources and strengths within an individual that may aid them in achieving their goal, as well as factors impeding their progress, which leads to a constructive approach to long-lasting bullying consequences.
Examples of SFBT methods used in practical applications include scaling questions, adequate goal setting, and the development of supportive environments. Questions serve as an evaluation tool used by a professional to assess the victim’s situation, problems, and desires, as well as guide them towards preferred solutions (De Shazer et. al., 2021). This method can be applied as a non-invasive tool to determine mental and social issues caused by bullying.
Similarly, goal setting can aid bullying victims by encouraging them to address each concern separately, fostering a sense of progress. De Shazer et. al. (2021) also evaluate the positive effects of group SFBT therapy through their own clinical practice, suggesting that fostering a supportive environment can benefit the patient by decreasing loneliness and self-stigmatization. These applications, along with SFBT’s adaptive nature, aim to inspire the patient to seek solutions rather than dwell on negative experiences.
Overall, SFBT can be regarded as an effective way of addressing mental issues caused by high school bullying. In my opinion, this method may be efficient in combating bullying-related concerns as it aims to empower the victim, directly countering the experiences of power imbalance and negative self-esteem associated with this problem. SFBT possesses an extensive clinical history, which proves its efficiency in a variety of cases related to complex mental issues (Walked & Gourlay-Fernandez) that should be considered when aiding bullying victims. Moreover, group therapy sessions can be beneficial in an educational setting seeking to prevent bullying in the classroom.
Conclusion
The paper analyzed the problem of high school bullying and associated concerns, as well as the possibility of addressing them through solution-focused brief therapy. The use of SFBT in a clinical setting was defined in accordance with data from authoritative sources. The efficiency of this approach in countering the psychological damage caused by high school bullying was evaluated from a personal perspective. Five scholarly articles were used as sources for the analysis, comprising extensive information regarding the paper’s topic. Overall, SFBT can be considered an adequate way to address the concerns of bullying victims, as it emphasizes a complex approach, adaptivity to each individual’s issues, and a focus on practical solutions that can lead to improvement.
References
Blakeslee, T., Snethen, J., Schiffman, R. F., Gwon, S. H., Sapp, M., & Kelber, S. (2023). Adolescent Characteristics, Suicide, and Bullying in High School. The Journal of school nursing: the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses, 39(6), 463–474.
De Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., Trepper, T., McCollum, E., & Berg, I. K. (2021). More than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Routledge.
Gan, C. (2020). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) with individuals with brain injury and their families. NeuroRehabilitation, 46(2), 143–155.
Ozada Nazim, A., & Duyan, V. (2019). Bullying problem among high school students: The impact of school life. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 1–9.
Walker, C. R., Froerer, A. S., & Gourlay-Fernandez, N. (2022). The value of using emotions in solution focused brief therapy. Journal of marital and family therapy, 48(3), 812–826.