Empty Chair: A Humanistic-Communicative Strategy for Addressing School Bullying
Keywords:
Empty Chair; bullying; humanistic communication; Gestalt counseling; case study.Abstract
Bullying remains a critical issue in schools due to its detrimental effects on students' emotional well-being, social relationships, and academic engagement. This study aimed to examine the implementation of the Empty Chair technique as a humanistic-communicative strategy for addressing bullying at SMA Manbail Huda Tuban. A qualitative case study design was employed. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with two school counselors and six students, and document analysis. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that the implementation of the Empty Chair technique progressed through four interconnected stages: reflective dialogue, perspective-taking, humanistic communication, and behavioral transformation. These stages created a safe communication space that enabled students to express suppressed emotions, enhance self-awareness, develop empathy, and improve interpersonal communication. The intervention contributed to a reduction in verbal bullying, greater understanding of others' perspectives, and the development of more reflective and humanistic communication patterns. This study concludes that the Empty Chair technique functions not only as a therapeutic intervention within Gestalt counseling but also as a humanistic-communicative strategy for fostering a safer, more inclusive, and supportive school environment
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