Peer Counseling Programs

Peer counseling programs have been developing in elementary, middle, and high school settings in the United States over the past four decades. With the multitude of challenges facing schools today, including significant social problems, professional "helping resources" are often inadequate to adequately meet the social and psychological needs of students (Cowie, 1999). Peer counseling programs utilize the power of positive peer influence as an effective way to supplement these services. Schools with strong programs can create a heightened sense of community as communication between students and staff is improved and a climate of care and respect is fostered.

Keywords At-Risk; Conflict Mediation; Literacy; Mentoring; Peer Counseling; Peer Helper; Peer Helping; Peer Influence; Peer Mediation; Peer Tutoring; Peer Support; Peers

Guidance & Counseling > Peer Counseling Programs

Overview

When students have concerns or problems, they often turn to each other for support instead of consulting with parents, teachers, counselors, or administrators. As the American School Counselor Association (2002) explains, "In our society, peer influence may be the strongest single motivational force in a student's life." Though students can exert negative influences on one another, they can also be strong positive forces. They can act as positive role models, demonstrate appropriate social behavior, and listen to and understand the common frustrations and concerns of other students (Varenhorst, 1992; Carr, n.d.). This peer support can be a valuable social support for many students who feel socially alienated.

Peer counseling may also be called peer tutoring, peer facilitation, peer support, peer education, and peer helping. Although "peers" typically refers to students of the same age and status, peer counseling programs may also match younger students with older students who serve as mentors, or provide students with disabilities with assistance from other students who do not have disabilities (Varenhorst, 1992).

Peer counseling programs developed in elementary, middle, and high school settings over the past four decades have utilized peer influence in a positive way, creating programs that have multiple benefits for schools and students. With the multitude of challenges facing schools today, support services are often too limited to adequately meet the social and psychological needs of students (Cowie, 1999). Peer counseling programs are an effective way to supplement these services. They teach student values such as cooperation, tolerance, and responsibility, thus making peer counseling a great instrument for preparing students to live in a more cooperative world (Varenhorst, 1992). Peer helping "activates and empowers students (an often underutilized resource in the schools), and it builds an ethos of cooperative values" (Center for the Advanced Study in Education, n.d.).

The American School Counselor Association (2002) states that "peer helping programs enhance the effectiveness of the school counseling program by increasing the outreach of the school counseling programs and raising student awareness of services. Through proper selection, training and supervision, peer helping can be a positive force within the school and community."

Peer counseling programs have been successful in addressing many school-related issues, such as transitions to higher grades, substance abuse, bullying and violent behaviors, conflict resolution, sexual harassment, pregnancy, depression, suicide, relationship problems, family problems, academic problems, grief, racism, stress, anger, anxiety, stalking, and eating disorders. These programs take many forms and may include activities such as listening and understanding; friendship and support; decision-making assistance; tutoring and academic support; role modeling; mediation and conflict resolution; education activities; problem-solving assistance; and referral to professionals (Peer Resources, n.d.). Numerous research studies have documented the effectiveness of these programs (Black, Foster-Harrison, Tindall, Johnson, Varenhorst, & Moscato, n.d.; Varenhorst, 2002).

Benefits

Students who participate in peer counseling programs either as peer counselors or as counselees and their sponsoring schools all derive benefits from these programs

Counselees can experience:

• An increased sense of self-worth;

• Stronger feelings of connectivity with others;

• Improved social skills, including impulse control, and creative, critical thinking, and friendship skills;

• Improved communication skills;

• Improved decision-making and problem-solving skills;

• Increased resiliency;

• A more positive attitude toward school (Tanaka & Reid, p.31);

• Improved personal and academic achievement;

• Reduced feelings of loneliness, alienation, and depression;

• An increased acceptance and respect for diversity;

• An improved ability to face future conflicts in life such as marriage, career, and family; and

• A greater recognition of the help and care that professionals can provide.

Counselors can experience:

• Increased empathy, understanding, and compassion;

• The development of active listening skills and improved communication skills;

• Increased social awareness;

• Increased self-confidence and self-esteem;

• A personal satisfaction derived from helping others, playing meaningful roles, and acting as positive role models for peers;

• An increased awareness of the positive impact students can have on their communities;

• A lowered likelihood for becoming at-risk themselves (Center for the Advanced Study in Education, n.d.);

• An increased acceptance and respect for diversity;

• A increased focus on cooperation, lessening competition; and

• The development of leadership skills.

Schools can experience:

• Improved communication networks within the school;

• A healthier and safer school climate with emphasis on care and respect (Center for the Advanced Study in Education, n.d.);

• A stronger sense of community among students and professional staff;

• Improved early detection and prevention of bullying and violence;

• An greater amount of time for professional staff to assume other duties, thus expanding services while decreasing costs;

• Peer counselors' unique skills and perspectives, which can enhance the school's counseling program; and

• Better communication between school professionals and the student body as peer counselors serve as a link between the two (Frenza, 1985; Tanaka & Reid, 1997; Varenhorst, 2002; Bernard, 1995)

Program Development

Schools that develop peer counseling programs must first define a program mission and purpose (King, Vidourek, Davis, & McClellan, 2002; Varenhorst, 2002). Peer counseling programs need to have administrative as well as parent and community support to succeed. A program coordinator, usually the school counselor, should facilitate the design and implementation of an appropriate program that matches the requirements of the school population. This individual has the responsibility of overseeing recruitment efforts for peer counselors; designing and coordinating a training program; meeting with peer counselors on a regular basis for continued training, supervising and sharing experiences; building parent and community support for the program; and continually evaluating the program in order to make appropriate adaptations as needed.

Students who are recruited to participate must have a specific set of skills to be effective peer counselors (Tanaka & Reid, 1997). Grades and attendance are not always good predictors of success for peer counselors. Peer counselors must be able to handle their own problems to be able to aid peers with their concerns. They must demonstrate helping abilities such as the ability to listen, ask questions, and express support and empathy. They must also be able to maintain confidentiality and neutrality. It is especially important that peer counselors know and respect their own limitations as nonprofessionals and know when and how to refer their peers for professional help.

Further Insights

Traditional Peer Counseling Programs

Although peer counseling programs have become popular in schools nationwide, their approaches vary widely and take many forms. Six different elementary, middle school, and high school programs are described here.

Hill-Murray Peer Helping Program

This St. Paul, MN high school program is a "program by students for students" (Hill-Murray School, 2007). The Peer Helping Program offers non-elective credit to juniors and seniors who enroll in coursework that enables them to utilize their academic and communication skills to work as Peer Tutors or Peer Listeners. The school has created a P.E.E.R. Center (Peer Education & Encouragement Resource Center) where Peer Helpers and fellow students meet to tutor and listen. Peer Listeners meet with students who need to talk in confidence about school or personal issues. Peer tutors help students in all subject areas, meeting twice weekly to review and reinforce class materials. They also help peers with study techniques such as time management and organization. Several hundred students utilize this resource yearly.

Longan French Magnet Peacekeepers

Longan French Magnet School in Kansas City has a nationally recognized and certified peer-mentoring program (Counselor's Corner, n.d.). Fifth grade students who participate in the Peacekeepers program act as "upper-class ambassadors" for kindergarten and first grade students. These peacekeepers meet monthly with their assigned students to read to them and help them meet academic goals.

New Albany Peer Buddy Program

This program seeks to "help bridge the social gap between peers with and without special needs and to foster friendships in our school community" (New Albany Special Connections, 2006). High school peer buddies, selected through an application process, are matched with middle and high school students with disabilities to serve as friends and positive role models. After an extensive orientation and training session, peer buddies participate in activities to help students with disabilities develop a sense of belonging and improved self-esteem. Peer buddies also belong to the HS Peer Buddy Club which plans social events as well as opportunities for reflection and continued learning about disability-related issues.

New Jersey Peer to Peer

This statewide, school-based program is constructed to promote leadership skills while reducing controlled substance use among middle school students (Princeton Center for Leadership Training, n.d.). The program's goal is to empower teens with the knowledge and information they need to make responsible decisions. Teams of seventh and eighth grade students in participating schools engage in weekly training sessions that focus on “team building, leadership development, and education about substances like tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, and designer drugs. Once trained, students lead interactive workshops with their peers on topics such as substance abuse prevention, conflict resolution, problem solving, stress management, and communication with parents and peers” (Princeton Center for Leadership Training, n.d., ¶ 1). The administrator of one NJPTP school described the program's benefits: "The program allows for one-to-one contact, peer with peer. (It encourages) making health choices, staying drug free, being violence free, learning how to resolve conflict, and learning strong interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. This is something that can have a major rippling effect within our communities and schools."

O'Neil Peer Education Program

This program has been active in Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, MD since 1994 (Mount Saint Joseph High School, n.d.). It program was established to honor a student, Christopher O'Neil, who was killed in a drunk-driving related accident, and to prevent similar tragedies. A diverse group of 33 juniors and seniors are selected and trained each year to serve as peer educators who teach freshmen about health-related issues. The peer educators are trained to use a variety of educational strategies, including role plays, small group activities, games, and videotapes to generate discussion and critical thinking. Topics discussed include the risks and consequences associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Depression, bullying, dating, and respect for others are also covered. Each team of two or three peer educators teaches 15 students once a week for four weeks. By the end of the month-long period, peer educators and freshman students have formed a bond that enables younger students to feel comfortable approaching peer educators for further information or guidance. The program was developed from research demonstrating that peer-lead instruction is an effective way to discourage unhealthy behaviors in teenagers.

Student-2-Student Program

This Meadowbook Middle School program in Poway, CA is a peer tutoring program that pays eighth grade students “to tutor struggling sixth- and seventh-grade students in core academic subjects such as math, science, social studies, and English” (Van Zant & Bailey, 2001, ¶ 2). To qualify as a tutor, eighth grade students must submit an application and explain why they want to be a tutor. Each tutor must have at least a B+ average and good citizenship record. Parents who want their children to participate in the program must also apply and provide information about their child's needs. The Student-2-Student Program advisor links participating students with tutors who will be good social and academic matches. During training sessions, tutors learn effective strategies for working individually with conflicting students. “Training sessions emphasize the importance of maintaining confidentiality, providing positive reinforcement to students, and making sure that students have adequate time to think and respond to questions. Tutors and their assigned students typically meet for one hour after school each day in the library or an empty classroom. Grades of tutored students are monitored, and both tutors and students are held accountable for improved grades and skills. In addition to earning money for their efforts, the tutors learn job-related skills that will help prepare them for the future” (Van Zant & Bailey, 2001, ¶ 4).

Non-Traditional Peer Counseling Programs

Some innovative strategies related to peer counseling that are being utilized in K-12 educational settings include peer counseling courses, counseling via e-mail, utilizing peer helpers for peer education, utilization of peer actors for theater-based education, peer mediation programs, and pen pal programs.

Peer Counseling Classes

Some schools offer for-credit coursework in peer counseling to prepare students to become peer counselors. One such course has been developed at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, MN (Shaffer, 2006). The popular course attracts at least 100 applicants for 32 slots. The school selects a diverse group of students each quarter the course is offered. Students chosen to participate learn the steps of counseling, including active listening, how to read body language, and how to ask open-ended questions. Each student has to demonstrate mastery of counseling skills to pass the course and must record an audiotape of a peer counseling session. The intensity of the course leads to close bonding among classmates.

E-mail Counseling

A decline in the number of requests for face-to-face counseling sessions lead Libertyville High School in Libertyville, IL to set up e-mail counseling services (Cohen, 2004). Students who may have been reluctant to see a counselor in person, can now e-mail one instead. Messages are kept confidential unless they contain information that raises concerns about the safety of the student requesting help or other students.

Peer Education

Some schools utilize peer counselors as peer educators. These students make presentations to their middle and high school-level peers on topics such as racism, multicultural appreciation, stereotypes, and even sexual orientation and gangs (Varenhorst, 2004). The length of these presentations varies, ranging from a single class period to a continuous integration into course curriculum.

Theater

Illusion's theater-based Peer Education Program, developed in 1982, was the first of its kind in the country (Illusion Theater, n.d.). The program, a collaboration between Illusion Theater and the Illinois State Department of Human Services, combines a strong understanding of youth issues with professional theater skills to empower students through drama. Professional Illusion Theater actors work intensively with high school peer educators on issues of importance to them while introducing them to key theater concepts. The students write and share their own stories, which are often incorporated into their performances. After training, the peer educators perform their plays for elementary, middle, and high school audiences. These plays explore issues such as violence prevention, mental health awareness, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

Elementary Peer Mediation

Peer mediation can be a powerful, cost-effective strategy for resolving conflicts, even at the elementary school level (Angaran & Beckwith, 1999). Dayton Grade School in Dayton, OH offers weekly peer mediation sessions co-facilitated by a team of two student mediators who work under the supervision of a trained adult to help peers reach a peaceful agreement to conflicts. Mediation allows students to resolve their differences in a safe, supportive environment. The process helps peer mediators develop effective communication skills, including putting feelings into words; reflecting on and summarizing what they have heard; maintaining confidentiality; and empathizing with others. It also teaches them to act impartially, listen carefully, and consider the viewpoints of others. Students involved in the program "find themselves able to move from anger to a search for solutions." Peer mediators become more capable and confident in using the skills they have learned. They can then take these skills into their homes and communities.

Science Pen Pals

This literacy program links graduate students at the J. David Gladstone Institutes with low-income, second through fifth grade elementary students in San Francisco (Ganguli, 2006). Students e-mail their mentors about what they are learning in science and ask questions, ranging from the number of cells in the body to the pen pal's favorite body part. Students also visited the Gladstone labs to gain hands-on experience. This interaction fosters relationships and student interest in science.

Terms & Concepts

At-Risk: Describes students of normal intelligence whose academic background or home environment may make them vulnerable to future academic failure.

Literacy: The ability to read and write as well as the ability to communicate using written materials (ERIC Thesaurus).

Mentoring: A developmental relationship in which a more experienced individual assists a less experienced person achieve a goal through teaching, helping, and supporting him or her.

Peer Helper: The American School Counselor Association (2002) defines peer helper as "a person who assumes the role of a helping person with persons of approximately the same age who share related values, experiences and lifestyles."

Peer Counseling: Peer counseling involves the performance of limited counseling services by nonprofessionals under the supervision of counseling professionals. (ERIC Thesaurus, 1973)

Peer Helping: The American School Counselor Association (2002) defines peer helping as "a variety of interpersonal helping behaviors assumed by nonprofessionals who undertake a helping role with others, including one-to-one helping relationships, group leadership, discussion leadership, tutoring and all activities of an interpersonal helping or assisting nature."

Peer Influence: Peer influence includes "pressure, either planned or unplanned, exerted by peers to influence personal behavior" (ERIC Thesaurus, 1978).

Peer Mediation: A method of resolving conflict by using of peer to promote reconciliation, settlement, understanding, and/or compromise. (ERIC Thesaurus, 2000)

Bibliography

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Carr, R. (1996). Peer helping: A model for service learning. Victoria, British Columbia: Peer Resources. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED397236). Retrieved October 9, 2007 from EBSCO Online Education Research Database. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/14/9a/5d.pdf

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Shaffer, L. (2006, Dec. 1). Peer counseling: A favorite class that benefits others. Eden Prairie News. Retrieved September 25, 2007, from http://www.edenprairienews.com/node/609

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Van Zant, S., & Bailey, E. (2001, Fall). Peer tutoring: Creating an in-school career. Middle Matters, 7. Retrieved September 25, 2007, from National Association of Elementary School Principals http://careers.naesp.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=3127500

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Wyman, P. A., Brown, C., LoMurray, M., Schmeelk-Cone, K., Petrova, M., Yu, Q., Walsh, E., Tu, X., & Wang, W. (2010). An outcome evaluation of the sources of strength suicide prevention program delivered by adolescent peer leaders in high schools. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 1653-1661. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=53737585&site=ehost-live

Suggested Reading

Cohen, R. (2005). Students resolving conflict: Peer mediation in schools. Tucson, AZ: Good Year Books.

Keim, N.,& Tolliver, C. (2003). Tutoring and mentoring: Starting a peer helping program in your elementary school. San Jose, CA: Resource Publications.

Mayes, S. (1999). School families: A peer mentoring program for students entering middle school or junior high school. Warminster, PA: MarCo Products.

Taub, D. (2002). Student leadership training: A workbook to reinforce effective communication skills. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Tindall, J. (1995). Peer programs: An in-depth look at peer helping - planning, implementation, and administration. Bristol, PA: Accelerated Development.

Varenhorst, B. (2003). An asset builder's guide to training peer helpers: Fifteen sessions on communication, assertiveness, and decision-making skills. Minneapolis, MN: The Search Institute.