How do schools use peer support?

Peer mentoring is a scheme where a more socially skilled pupil offers friendship and support to a child who is being bullied or who is bullying others or is caught in the middle as bystander. More than this the mentor will discuss general life and school issues and also the specific issue of bullying, helping the pupil to find a solution. This scheme, which is carefully monitored (perhaps by a guidance teacher) should be valuable to both parties. The pupil in difficulty should obtain support and feel more positive, while the mentor (who receives training), will be developing his/her social and problem solving skills.
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Article details

K Sullivan (2000) 'The Anti-Bullying Handbook', Oxford and New Zealand: Oxford University Press. For order details go here.
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Author details

Dr Keith Sullivan is based at the School of Education at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Over a number of years he has been involved in anti-bullying research in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
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