Social Psychology Research

Abstract Introduction: Victims of bullying often exhibit deficits in self-efficacy and adaptive problem-solving styles. Short-term solution-focused group therapy may serve as an effective intervention for improving these psychological variables. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term solution-focused group therapy on self-efficacy and problem-solving styles in adolescents who have experienced bullying victimization.
Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and a control group. The statistical population comprised all male first-year high school students in District 1 of Rasht during the 2024–2025 academic year. Following a two-stage screening process, a convenience sample of 30 participants was selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received seven 90-minute sessions of short-term solution-focused group therapy. Data were collected using the Illinois Bullying Scale (Espelage & Holt, 2001), the Bullying/Victim Questionnaire (Olweus, 1996), the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Morris, 2001), and the Problem-Solving Styles Questionnaire (Cassidy & Long, 1996). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed for data analysis.
Results: The findings revealed that short-term solution-focused group therapy had a statistically significant effect on all components of self-efficacy, with the exception of social self-efficacy, and on all components of problem-solving styles, with the exception of the creative style (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Short-term solution-focused group therapy, by fostering a positive group atmosphere, appears to enhance problem-solving skills and improve self-efficacy beliefs. These improvements, in turn, may increase the capacity of adolescent bullying victims to effectively cope with victimization experiences.