In the last few years, peer programs have grown in popularity around the country, supported by a growing body of research and the rewards of seeing teenagers' lives changed. Elementary peer programs, with their different set of typical issues, schedule demands, and personnel availability, are certainly different from their middle- and high-school…

Seven schools in an economically challenged area of an urban school district in central California implemented mentored peer mediation programs under the guidance of a university-K-12 partnership project, Mediator Mentors. Individual student outcomes for social-cognitive dispositions, perceptions of school climate, conflict strategy choices, and…

With the constant concern over violence in schools, school officials are looking for ways to head off this potential problem and to better assure a safe environment for all students. One way that has become popular is the implementation of peer mediation programs where students assist other students in learning how to deal with conflict through…

Conflict in school settings continues to be an area of concern for school administrators, teachers, and parents. Conflict between and among students in their school environment is followed by aggressive behavior that contributes to violent actions. The aggressive behavior may range from verbal attacks to physical attacks that may end up with the…

Peer Resources is at the heart of positive youth development. Trained youth serving in roles such as mentor, tutor, mediator, leader, and educator can change the norms of a school and community. Utilizing people as resources is an important concept to embrace. During the last seven years, peer mentors have reduced the drop-out rate of 16- and…

A follow-up analysis of data collected in 2003 was conducted to determine the effect of peer helping programs on student achievement at 47 middle schools in Western New York. The mean scores and the percent of students achieving at or above the New York State passing cores on The New York State Eighth Grade Science Achievement Test and The New…

Students helping students have become an increasingly important educational concept over the last 20 years. While the popularity and prevalence of these types of programs have grown considerably, there has been little effort to evaluate their effectiveness. The authors advocate for counselors to use a scientist practitioner approach to…