Social Psychology Research

Abstract Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of social-emotional competence training on mental toughness, empathy, and school belonging among female students with antisocial behaviors. Method: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of all female high school students in Khorramabad with antisocial behaviors during the 2024–2025 academic year. A sample of 30 students was selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants per group). The experimental group received social-emotional competence training across ten 90-minute sessions. Data collection instruments included the Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire (Burt & Donnellan, 2009), the Basic Empathy Scale for Children and Adolescents (2010), the Short Version of the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (Papageorgiou et al., 2019), and the School Belonging Scale (Brown & Evans, 2002). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26. Results: The ANCOVA results indicated that social-emotional competence training led to a significant increase in mental toughness (p < .001), empathy (p < .001), and school belonging (p < .001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings suggest that social-emotional competence training can serve as an effective approach for enhancing mental health and reducing antisocial behaviors among female students. Based on these results, it is recommended that such training be integrated into preventive and intervention programs within schools.