The impact of a peer-tutoring program based on disputing irrational beliefs in enhancing life skills, self-assertiveness, and self-compassion

Abstract Background Although many studies have been conducted on peer tutoring (PT), what distinguishes this study from others is its consistent variables and global applicability. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of disputing irrational beliefs (DIBs) in improving life skills (LSs), self-assertiveness (SAs), and self-compassion (SCs) among first-year students who were victims of bullying. The study sample comprised 60 male students. They were randomly distributed into experimental and waiting groups, with each group consisting of 30 students. Students who obtained high scores on the SA, LS, and SC scales were excluded, whereas those who obtained the highest scores on the bullying victim scale were limited. Peers trained the experimental group in the DIB. After 10 weeks of training, post-test measurements were performed on both groups. Results revealed statistically significant effects for SA, LS, and SC in favor of the experimental group and posttest and an interaction effect between the treatment and evaluation periods compared with the waiting group and pretests. Conclusion DIB effectively improves SA, LS, and SC among bullying victims, which contributes to improving mental health and academic achievement. This provides additional advantages to cognitive behavior therapy and contributes to improving positive results.