THE ROLE OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING IN PREVENTING BULLYING BEHAVIOR AT STATE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 01 BENGKULU TENGAH

Abstract

Bullying remains one of the most persistent social problems in schools, particularly in culturally diverse educational environments where differences in ethnicity, religion, language, and social background may trigger discrimination and aggressive behavior. This study aimed to examine the role of multicultural counseling in preventing bullying behavior among students at State Senior High School 01 Bengkulu Tengah. A quantitative correlational research design was employed involving 60 eleventh-grade students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring multicultural counseling, consisting of cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills, as well as bullying behavior, including physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying. Instrument validity was examined using the Pearson Product–Moment correlation, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson Product–Moment correlation, and simple linear regression using IBM SPSS Statistics. The findings indicated that all questionnaire items were valid, and the overall instrument demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.82). Descriptive analysis showed that students perceived multicultural counseling positively, with 85% reporting agreement that counseling services had enhanced their understanding of tolerance, empathy, and respect for cultural diversity. Verbal bullying emerged as the most prevalent form (38%), followed by relational bullying (30%), physical bullying (18%), and cyberbullying (14%). Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between multicultural counseling and bullying behavior (r = –0.682, p < .001), indicating that stronger implementation of multicultural counseling was associated with lower levels of bullying. These findings suggest that multicultural counseling represents an effective preventive strategy for fostering tolerance, empathy, and inclusive social relationships while reducing bullying behavior in multicultural school settings.