International Journal of Research in Counseling

Fostering Muslim-Christian Tolerance in Schools through Multicultural Counseling Programs: A Preventive Psychoeducation Model

Yosep Heristyo Endro Baruno, Sayono Sayono, Muhammad Rizza Maulana — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background.

Religious diversity in schools often presents challenges related to interfaith tension, prejudice, and social exclusion, particularly between Muslim and Christian students. Traditional educational approaches tend to lack the psychological depth needed to foster sustainable tolerance and inclusive interactions among students from different faith backgrounds.

Purpose.

This study aimed to develop and examine a preventive psychoeducation model within multicultural counseling programs designed to foster Muslim-Christian tolerance in secondary schools. The research explored the role of initial attitudes, multicultural knowledge, and bias sensitivity in shaping students’ preventive competence and promoting harmonious coexistence.

Method.

A qualitative case study approach was used, involving several secondary schools in religiously diverse regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis involving school counselors, religious teachers, and students. Structural equation modeling using SmartPLS and ANOVA correlation analysis were employed to explore the relationships among the variables.

Results.

The findings revealed that positive initial attitudes significantly influenced multicultural knowledge acquisition, which in turn enhanced preventive competence. Multicultural knowledge had the strongest impact on students’ ability to proactively manage religious diversity. However, bias sensitivity showed a weaker or even negative correlation with competence, indicating the need for emotional regulation in counseling interventions. The final outcome—harmonious interfaith interaction—depended not only on individual competencies but also on broader school dynamics.

Conclusion.

The preventive psychoeducation model rooted in multicultural counseling offers a promising strategy for promoting interfaith tolerance in schools. It highlights the importance of addressing both cognitive and emotional domains to prepare students for peaceful coexistence. Implementation of such models requires institutional support, professional counselor training, and integration with school culture and policies.

The Effect of the CBT Counseling Approach to Overcoming Academic Procrastination: A Systematic Literature Review

Nanik Suminarni, M. Ramli, Fitri Wahyuni — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Academic procrastination is a behavior of delaying academic tasks that leads to a lack of optimization of individual academic performance and also causes negative impacts on individual psychology. Guidance and Counseling services can apply certain approaches or techniques to overcome academic procrastination. One of them is CBT counseling approach that targets changes in the irrational mindset of procrastinators and improves their behavior. Through SLR, this study examines the effect of CBT counseling approach in reducing academic procrastination behavior. The national article search used the Google Scholar database with a publication period between 2020 and 2024 and found 9 articles. Based on the review of these articles, it was concluded that CBT counseling approach is able to reduce academic procrastination behavior.

Ethical Frameworks for AI-Assisted Counseling in the Digital Era

Taufiq Hidayatullah, Tresa Agustian, Ade Sofyan — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Background. The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into mental health and counseling services has transformed traditional counseling practices, offering increased accessibility, scalability, and efficiency in the digital era. AI-assisted counseling systems—such as chatbots, virtual counselors, and decision-support tools—are increasingly used to support psychological well-being. However, their deployment raises complex ethical concerns related to privacy, autonomy, transparency, bias, accountability, and the preservation of human-centered care.

Purpose. This study aimed to examine ethical frameworks for AI-assisted counseling in the digital era. Specifically, it analyzed key ethical principles and challenges associated with AI-mediated counseling practices and explored how these principles can be operationalized to ensure ethical integrity, client safety, and professional accountability.

Method. A qualitative, conceptual research design was employed using systematic literature analysis and ethical framework synthesis. Data were drawn from peer-reviewed journal articles, professional counseling ethics codes, AI governance guidelines, and policy documents published between 2015 and 2025. The data were analyzed through thematic coding and comparative ethical analysis to identify recurring ethical dimensions and points of convergence across frameworks.

Results. The findings indicate that ethical AI-assisted counseling requires the integration of five core principles: respect for client autonomy, data privacy and confidentiality, transparency and explainability of AI systems, fairness and bias mitigation, and shared accountability between human counselors and AI developers. The analysis also reveals gaps between existing counseling ethics codes and emerging AI-specific risks, particularly in informed consent and decision-making authority.

Conclusion. Ethical frameworks for AI-assisted counseling must evolve beyond traditional counseling ethics to address the unique challenges posed by intelligent systems. The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary ethical models that combine counseling ethics, AI governance, and human-centered design to support responsible and trustworthy AI integration in digital counseling practices.

Digital Literacy and Ethical Decision-Making Among Counselors Using AI Assessment Tools

Saidah Saidah — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into counseling practices presents both opportunities and ethical dilemmas. This study explores the relationship between digital literacy and ethical decision-making among counselors who utilize AI-based assessment tools. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were gathered through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained via semi-structured interviews with licensed counselors in diverse educational and clinical settings. The findings indicate that counselors with higher levels of digital literacy demonstrate greater competence in navigating ethical complexities related to data privacy, informed consent, algorithmic bias, and client autonomy. Furthermore, digital literacy mediates counselors’ ability to critically evaluate the limitations of AI-generated outputs and apply professional judgment responsibly. This study underscores the need for continuous digital ethics training within counselor education programs and proposes a framework for integrating ethical AI usage into counseling standards. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of how digital competencies shape ethical practices in technology-enhanced counseling environments.

FACTORS CAUSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AGAINST TEENAGERS

Widya Ningsih, Irman Irman, Putri Yeni, Aung Myint, Sanjay Sharma — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Sexual harassment is behavior or attention of a sexual nature that is unwelcome and undesirable and has the effect of disturbing the recipient of the harassment. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to: sexual payment for wanting something, coercion to perform sexual activities, derogatory statements about sexual orientation or sexuality, requests to perform sexual acts that the perpetrator likes, speech or behavior that has a sexual connotation; all can be classified as sexual harassment. This research is normative legal research or library legal research, namely research carried out by examining library materials or secondary data. Secondary data includes: - Primary legal materials, which consist of statutory regulations in this case in the form of: Criminal Code, Law no. 23 of 2004 and other related regulations. - Secondary legal materials, which provide explanations of primary legal materials, such as written works from legal circles, opinions of legal experts. The main motive for the perpetrator to abuse the victim is because the victim responded to the attitude shown by the perpetrator or the feedback shown by the victim. The response intended by the perpetrator is an open attitude shown by the victim, such as frequently replying to the perpetrator's WA chats, smiling and saying hello when they meet, being friendly, appearing seductive according to the perpetrator, and not avoiding being approached by the perpetrator.

EMOTION REGULATION IN RELATION TO ADOLESCENT PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF GENDER

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

There are several stories in the media, reported a decline in prosocial behavior and a tendency for people to behave impatiently. The aims of this research was to determined the corelations between Emotion Regulation and Prosocial Behavior concerning the students of Vocational High School (SMK), in terms of gender. Research was conducted by asking questions to students, with a number of statements that had been prepared. Subjects were students at the Surabaya Pharmacy Vocational School. The number of samples pick up with simple random sampling technique/ Questionaires about the Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Prosocial Behaviors Scale.

Meanwhile with the Spearman correlation method, it was found that "There is a significant corelation between Emotion Regulation and Prosocial Behaviors". Furthermore, it can be concluded that Emotion Regulation makes an effective contribution to Prosocial behavior. There is no significant difference between Prosocial Behaviors of male and female student

Development of Ethical Guidelines for AI-Assisted Educational Counseling Decisions.

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational counseling has introduced new opportunities and ethical challenges in decision-making processes related to student support services. This study aims to develop a set of ethical guidelines tailored to the use of AI-assisted systems in educational counseling, focusing on transparency, fairness, accountability, privacy, and human oversight. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research synthesizes insights from educational technologists, counseling professionals, AI ethicists, and policymakers through in-depth interviews and Delphi-based consensus. The proposed framework addresses ethical dilemmas arising from algorithmic bias, informed consent, data protection, and the balance between human judgment and machine recommendations. Findings suggest that while AI can enhance efficiency and personalization in counseling, it must operate within clearly defined ethical boundaries to safeguard student autonomy, well-being, and equity. The resulting guidelines are intended to serve as a foundational reference for educational institutions, developers, and regulatory bodies in the responsible deployment of AI in student counseling contexts.

Developing a Multicultural Competency Assessment Tool for School Counselors

Siti Rahmi, Rashid Saparov, Kouadio Koffi — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

In an increasingly diverse educational landscape, the role of school counselors in addressing students' cultural, racial, and social differences has become pivotal. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable multicultural competency assessment tool tailored for school counselors. Using a research and development approach, the instrument was constructed through literature review, expert validation, and empirical testing involving 200 practicing counselors from various educational settings. The results demonstrate high internal consistency and construct validity, revealing three core dimensions: cultural awareness, knowledge of multicultural issues, and responsive counseling skills. This tool serves as a strategic resource for evaluating and enhancing counselors’ readiness to support diverse student populations. Its implementation is expected to improve culturally responsive practices and inform professional training programs for future counselors.

Developing 21st Century Skills through Multicultural English Language Education

Dina Destari, Nina Anis — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Background. The growing diversity of classrooms and the rapid transformation of global communication demand English language education that not only develops linguistic competence but also equips learners with essential 21st-century skills. Multicultural English language education is increasingly viewed as a strategic approach to fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and intercultural awareness. However, empirical evidence on how multicultural pedagogical practices contribute to these skills remains limited.

Purpose. This study aimed to examine the role of multicultural English language education in developing students’ 21st-century skills. Specifically, it investigated the extent to which multicultural learning activities influence students’ critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and intercultural competence in English language classrooms.

Method. A mixed-methods research design was employed involving 210 secondary and university-level students from culturally diverse educational settings. Quantitative data were collected through a validated 21st-century skills questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained from classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, and the qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

Results. The findings reveal that multicultural English language instruction has a significant positive effect on students’ 21st-century skills, particularly in intercultural communication, collaborative learning, and critical thinking. Students exposed to culturally responsive materials and dialogic learning activities demonstrated higher engagement and greater adaptability in diverse social interactions.

Conclusion. Multicultural English language education serves as an effective pedagogical framework for integrating language learning with the development of 21st-century skills. The study underscores the importance of culturally inclusive curricula and learner-centered strategies to prepare students for global citizenship.

The Effect of Group Counseling with Thought Stopping Techniques in reducing Students' Social Media FoMO at SMAN 2 Gunung Talang

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The main problem in this research is that there are students who have high social media FoMO behavior. The main problem is the high level of FoMO behavior on social media, one technique that can be used to reduce it is through thought stopping technique group counseling. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of group counseling using thought stopping techniques in reducing social media FoMO in students. The sample in this study consisted of 11 students for the experimental group based on the characteristics of students who have social media FoMO behavior. The data analysis technique used is the statistical t-test. The design used is a pre-experimental design with a one group pre-test – post-test design type because at the implementation stage of this design a pre-test is given first before new actions are given followed by a post-test. The results of this research show that group counseling using the thought stopping technique in reducing social media FoMO in students has a significant effect with the results obtained with a value of (t_hit = 10.5) > "t" (t_table 2.22) at a significant level of 5%