Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a counseling program based on the development of social skills, emotional intelligence, and achievement motivation in reducing bullying behavior among middle school students in the United Arab Emirates, as perceived by teachers, principals, social workers, and educational supervisors. The study adopted a quantitative research design, in which data were collected using a closed-ended, self-reported questionnaire developed to measure the psychological and behavioral characteristics of bullying students. The questionnaire comprised three main constructs: social skills, emotional intelligence, and achievement motivation. It was administered to a purposive sample of 283 participants, including teachers, principals, social workers, and educational supervisors working in middle schools in Abu Dhabi. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques, including correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests, and regression analysis to test the research hypotheses. The results revealed that the levels of social skills (M = 4.11, SD = 0.52), emotional intelligence (M = 4.18, SD = 0.50), and achievement motivation (M = 4.25, SD = 0.47) were high according to the participants_ responses. The t-test and one-way ANOVA results indicated no statistically significant differences in these variables attributable to gender, school type, job role, or years of experience (p > 0.05). Correlation analysis demonstrated significant positive relationships between social skills and achievement motivation (r = 0.607, p < 0.01) as well as between emotional intelligence and achievement motivation (r = 0.662, p < 0.01). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis showed that emotional intelligence was the most influential predictor of achievement motivation (_ = 0.455, p < 0.01), followed by social skills (_ = 0.297, p < 0.01). The study concluded that the counseling program focusing on the development of social skills, emotional intelligence, and achievement motivation is an effective tool for reducing bullying behavior in middle schools in Abu Dhabi. This research contributes to the educational psychology literature by presenting a practical counseling model applicable to educational institutions for addressing bullying.