Abstract:
bullying affects not only the victims but also the perpetrators, potentially leading to long-term mental health and behavioral problems for both parties. This quasi-experimental research aimed to compare the bullying coping skills scores of early adolescents before and after participating in an empathy enhancing program, and to compare the scores between those who received the program and those who did not. The sample consisted of 76 early adolescents, both male and female, aged between 11 and 14 years, who were studying in schools under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area Education Copy hiang Mai ersity Office. The control group received the school's usual care and support. The research instruments included: ed 1) a bullying coping skills assessment scale, 2) an empathy assessment form, and 3) the Empathy Enhancing Program on Coping Skills for Bullying Among Early Adolescents, developed by the researchers based on Goleman's (1998) theory of empathy and a literature review. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, and independent sample t-tests. The results showed that: 1. The mean score for bullying coping skills of early adolescents increased after participating in the program compared to before, with statistical significance (p < 0.05) 2. The early adolescents in the experimental group which received the program had significantly higher mean scores for bullying coping skills compared to those in the control group, with statistical significance (p < 0.05) The findings suggest that this program is effective in promoting empathy and enhancing bullying coping skills among early adolescents. Therefore, this program is suggested for promoting empathy and improving coping skills when facing bullying situations in an appropriate way.