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evidence base

“The Peer Support Program fosters the development of effective group work skills, values mutual respect,kindness and tolerance and celebrates the ‘uniqueness’ of each individual.... Peer Support contributes to a safe and supportive school environment.”
Principal involved in the VEGPS project
TEACH Cluster, Townsville

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“Speaking Up is an effective intervention strategy supporting students to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to reduce bullying behavours.”
Peer Support Australia

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peers helping peers - research into the effectiveness of the peer support program

study conducted in 2003

A 3 year study has been conducted by the Self Research Centre of the University of Western Sydney into evaluating the effectiveness, strengths and limitations of the Peer Support Program.

The Peer Support Program is designed to train senior students to work regularly with small groups of younger students. The senior students are responsible for leading groups of younger students through the program content and activities. Broadly, program content delivered by peers addresses goal setting, group decision making, problem solving and the development of support networks. The program is designed to be experiential and to encourage as much participation as possible.

The Peer Support Program is a widely used intervention in Australian schools and is administered to Year 7 students by Year 10/11 students and aims to alleviate problems associated with adolescence by enhancing school self-concept, school citizenship, sense of self, connectedness, resourcefulness and sense of possibility for the future.

Participants of the study had not previously been involved in a Peer Support Program. Schools were a mix of co-educational and single sex, metropolitan, outer-metropolitan and non-metropolitan.

2,335 secondary school students enrolled in Years 7, 10 and 11 were tested and questionnaires comprised both quantitative and qualitative measures.

results

Students who were selected as Peer Leaders indicated that being a Peer Leader was valuable to their personal growth and development and improved their leadership skills. Most students also felt that the program improved their communication skills.
The majority of students indicated that the program helped students to make new friends not only in their own year, but with older and younger students with whom previously they would have had no contact.
The program changed students' perceptions of bullying. Students explained that the program encouraged them not to bully others and informed them of who to turn to for assistance if bullying occurs. Interestingly, a student also identified that the program had resulted in establishing a rapport with a person who had previously bullied them.
The program was proven to be beneficial in enhancing students' problem solving and decision making skills. Some students mentioned that their stress management skills also improved.
The Program enhanced students' self-confidence and sense of worth. It gave them the confidence to be themselves and not to be influenced negatively by others or submit to peer pressure.
Year 7 students said that the program had taught them to think positively rather than negatively.
The program increased enjoyment of school, relations with peers and perception of support from those around.

summary

Participation in the Peer Support Program improved students' feelings about themselves, their ability to cope with pressure, their relationships with their peers and changed their attitudes towards bullying. It assisted Peer Leaders in developing leadership skills and increased self-understanding for Year 7 students. The effects of the program increased over time even after finishing the program and the program was most beneficial for those students with lower skill levels prior to starting the program. Interestingly there was little variance in the effects of the program across participating schools and across Peer Support Groups.

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James Cook University Research

study conducted in 2005

A study of 7 state (government) schools in the Townsville district who identify themselves as the TEACH cluster (Teachers and Educators Around Castle Hill) implemented the Peer Support Program in their schools to support Values Education and Quality Teaching practices.

The schools ranged in size from 120 students to 600 students, with varying Indigenous populations (from 8% to 80%). The schools also varied in their resource levels, economic base and school facilities.

The schools believed their work with the Peer Support Program represented one of a number of ways in which state schools actively engage with the teaching of values. Students lived and experienced the values within the Peer Support Program and beyond their school sites.

The research comprised observation sessions and interviews with students and teachers in each school site about a range of aspects of the program.

The initial case study was carried out, then a further 2 findings were noted and observed. These 2 further observed findings were related to the need for holistic and integrated implementation of the Peer Support Program.

3 key points were observed during the second phase of the study:

the preparation of the student ‘Peer Leaders’ to conduct a group session addressing care of the self
the conduct of their session by the group leaders
the immediate follow up to the session.

Initial Case Study Findings

The Peer Support Program engaged students in reflection on the actual and desirable qualities in relationships and behaviour. This led to transformations of their behaviour in a range of ways.

Staff and students also claimed the Peer Support Program had had a noticeable impact on the quality of life within their school.

Teachers commented they felt the Peer Support Program was already having a visible effect on student behaviour and relationships in the playground. They saw the Peer Leaders as increasingly displaying care of the younger students, and taking higher levels of responsibility for their peers.

Younger students were described by both students and staff as showing respect for their Peer Leaders.

There were also demonstrated examples of caring and considerate behaviour eg leaders were attentive to difficulties faced by some students and intervened in low key but effective ways to encourage or prompt students.
There were also observations of the Peer Support Program contributing positively to whole school activities and overall organisation. The program promoted cross age interaction, resulting in a more peaceable school environment.

Findings from specific observation of Peer Leaders conducting a session:

Evidence of high level of engagement and general cooperation throughout sessions.
Evidence of leadership by Peer Leaders. Thorough preparation and good presentations.
Ability to handle difficulties that arose and deal with disturbances in a low key, unobtrusive and non confrontational manner.

For further information, contact Peer Support Australia.

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Deakin University Research

study conducted in 2008

A pilot study was conducted as part of ongoing post graduate studies to quantify the assumptions regarding the efficacy of Speaking Up as a program which reduces bullying behaviours.

Peer Support and Anti-bullying

Since 1997 the Peer Support Foundation, now trading as Peer Support Australia, has been providing training, professional development and peer led learning resources to support a whole school approach to reducing bullying behaviours in order to build safe and supportive school environments.

During this time 1,100 schools have participated in awareness raising sessions and over 450 schools across New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Tasmania have implemented Peer Support Australia’s anti-bullying programs.

Research

The research focused on 80 students aged 8-12 years in two NSW primary schools. One school was an intervention group who had implemented Speaking Up the term prior to the research being conducted. The other school did not implement an anti-bullying module, but was conducting the Peer Support Program.

A quantitative questionnaire was used with the participating students.

To summarise, the study of Speaking Up provided further evidence that:

students developed friendships across the year groups
students were more inclusive of others
students developed the skills to support target students
students developed the skills to report bullying behaviours

Findings

Students in the intervention school had developed friendships across the year groups and it could be said that the anti-bullying intervention module, Speaking Up, had created a more positive and harmonious school culture.

Students in the intervention school indicated they were likely to report bullying behaviours to a greater range of people such as a friend, teacher, parent or other adult.

Students in the intervention school witnessed fewer incidents of bullying behaviours approximately three months after the program’s conclusion. This is in addition to the fact awareness of what constitutes bullying behaviours had been heightened amongst these students.

The intervention school who also participated in a whole school approach to dealing with bullying behaviours demonstrated a willingness to actively engage in reducing these (bullying) behaviours.

Speaking Up was shown to:

reduce the incidents of bullying behaviour
change attitudes towards bullying behaviours in the culture of the school
provide greater awareness of the different types of bullying behaviours
provide support for the longer term benefits of the intervention program

For further information, contact Peer Support Australia.

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