The Effect of Expressive Writing Therapy in Reducing Anxiety Levels in Adolescent Bullying Victims

Abstract


INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is a connecting period or a transition period between childhood and adulthood [1]. During adolescence, problems related to peer rejection are often encountered, which is usually caused by bullying. Bullying behavior is known as a social problem characterized by an aggressive action that contains elements of physical and verbal violence [2]. The prevalence of victims of bullying occurs in adolescents aged [12][13][14][15][16][17] years, up to 35% [3].
According to UNESCO data, almost a third of young people around the world have recently experienced bullying, more than 32% of boys and 28% of girls have experienced bullying at school [4]. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) noted that within 9 years, from 2011 to 2019, there were 37,381 complaints of violence against children with cases of bullying [5]. For bullying in both education and social networks, the number reached 2,473 reports, and the trend continues to increase [5]. In general, bullying has become a tradition in schools that is carried out by seniors. Victims of bullying are usually reluctant to report it to other parties, parents who can make their situation worse. This is what makes bullying more rampant if not handled properly [6].
An increase in bullying cases causes a feeling of inferiority toward their peers and the community around them, emotional disturbances, depression, and feelings of anxiety. [2] Children who are victims of bullying tend to report more internalized behavior, as well as fear, anxiety, and can cause children to be afraid to go to school [7].
Anxiety is a feeling of discomfort and fear accompanied by physical symptoms, such as accelerated heart rate, dry mouth, body sweating, and tremors [8].

METHODS
The design of this study used the Quasi experiment with a design approach of the control group before and after the test, which consisted of a group that collected data 2 (two) times, namely before treatment (pretest) and after treatment (post-test) [11]. The variable studied in this study is the level of anxiety using expressive writing therapy.  Anxiety level scores before and after the intervention in the experimental group and the control group Table 3 The effect of expressive writing therapy on reducing anxiety levels in the experimental and control groups According to previous research results, writing is effective in reducing anxiety levels [13]. The results of the same research were also found in research showing that expressive writing had an effect on reducing anxiety in students of class XI of SMA Negeri 59 Jakarta [14]. Other research also showed that writing therapy is effective in dealing with anxiety [15].

DISCUSSION
Intervention expressive writing therapy is a reflection therapy that allows individuals to change their cognition, regulate emotions so that they are better through cathartic means to gain new energy, relieve emotional stress, and provide opportunities to focus more on goals and behavior [16]. Expressive Research similar to writing therapy can be used as a means to express emotions and reduce anxiety [19]. Writing can better classify one's own thoughts and feelings and can reduce the pressure on a person. Writing can help release the intensity of feelings (emotional, sad, painful experiences, etc.) and can solve problems effectively because problems are generally solved with the left brain, but sometimes it is only found with the right brain, which is creative and intuitive. In addition, by writing a person can recognize the positive side of his personality that was previously hidden or blocked by mindset [20]. words, the inhibition that has been felt so far will gradually decrease and there will be an improvement in health [18].
Writing down gripping events will lead to new understanding, and the problem becomes more limited and manageable after it is written down on paper. Writing down emotional experiences can create a kind of structure and organization in the mind. When writing, the thinking process is forced to experience a slowdown and one can draw one idea to a logical conclusion [21]. Expressive writing therapy/writing on emotional experiences has also been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and reducing health problems [22]. Therefore, the experience of the respondent during expressive writing therapy shows that it has a positive effect on the respondent and reduces the anxiety they experience [23].