How can I help students with today's challenges?
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With peer pressure heightened and exposure to bullying increased by technology, our youth are experiencing abnormal quantities of stress. Students live in fear of school shootings and cyber bullying. They are exposed to sex and questions about their sexual identities before they reach puberty. The pressure for “likes” and the quest for validation through internet fame have twisted priorities. These rapid changes in societal norms have increased the generational divides and created a crisis in which young people are left adrift, trying to figure how to navigate their worlds alone.
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There are successful intervention strategies to help them. We know that young people look to their peers for guidance and, with proper training, those peers can learn to identify signs of trouble and take steps to intervene before tragedy strikes. Through the creation of peer programs, students, parents and staff acknowledge that “we’re all in this together” and work towards a unified goal instead of competing with each other. This positive peer pressure and community involvement can literally be the difference between life and death for young people.
When choosing a peer counseling program, it is important to keep in mind the character of your school as well as the body of students that you will be serving. These programs are as alive as the participants; evolving and changing each year with the students, program coordinators and staff members that are involved. Before implementing a program, ask yourself, “What makes my campus unique? What are our specific needs? What are the concerns and priorities of the campus at large?” Contemplate these and other things as you consider what features should be included in your program.
While each program is unique to the school it serves, after 30 years of working in the crisis and behavioral health fields and implementing successful peer programs in Arizona and California, Sande has identified which elements are commonly included in successful, long-term peer counseling programs.
Click here for an overview of what to consider before choosing a program for your school.
When choosing a peer counseling program, it is important to keep in mind the character of your school as well as the body of students that you will be serving. These programs are as alive as the participants; evolving and changing each year with the students, program coordinators and staff members that are involved. Before implementing a program, ask yourself, “What makes my campus unique? What are our specific needs? What are the concerns and priorities of the campus at large?” Contemplate these and other things as you consider what features should be included in your program.
While each program is unique to the school it serves, after 30 years of working in the crisis and behavioral health fields and implementing successful peer programs in Arizona and California, Sande has identified which elements are commonly included in successful, long-term peer counseling programs.
Click here for an overview of what to consider before choosing a program for your school.