School Counseling Group Sessions on Bullying Prevention

School Counseling as a Preventive Measure

School counseling has historically been considered an ancillary part of education — nice to have, but not truly necessary (Scarborough & Luke, 2008). It has often been among the first programs cut when school budgets require trimming. Today, however, school counselors are expected to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students (Van Velsor, 2009). Although many recognize the connection between academic and career development on one hand and personal and social growth on the other, school counselors are still largely expected to justify their work through its contribution to academic achievement (Van Velsor, 2009).

School counselors face many demands on their time that fall outside the scope of direct counseling, including serving as testing coordinators, special education team leaders, and administrators of retests (Bostick & Anderson, 2009). Because of these competing demands, counselors frequently turn to group counseling as a means of reaching more students within the time available. Group counseling provides a framework for addressing issues such as prevention, problem-focused support, and psychoeducational programming (Steen & Bauman, 2007). Research finds that small group counseling in schools helps change students' attitudes, perspectives, values, and behaviors in an efficient manner. By working together in a group, students learn they are not alone in facing particular problems. They also develop positive peer interaction skills and benefit from role modeling. Participation in school counseling groups supports improvement in self-esteem while simultaneously providing instruction on the topic under study (Steen & Bauman, 2007).

The topic selected for this curriculum is bullying at the late elementary level, addressed as a social development issue. Children in this age group are not always conscious of how their behavior affects their peers. A school counselor at this level may work in group sessions every day of the week across different grade levels; for grades 3 through 5, common concerns center on social development.

Cognitive theory is the preferred counseling framework for this curriculum. Based on Piaget's theory of development, children in the elementary years are capable of logical reasoning about situations and events (Meyers et al., 2002). Working with younger students on social issues functions primarily as a preventive technique rather than the rehabilitative approach more commonly needed with older age groups. Time is a critical factor during the school day — teachers are reluctant to release students from instruction unless the benefit to academic progress is clear (Steen & Kaffenberger, 2007). Research by Steen and Kaffenberger (2007) indicates that 80% of students who need academic help also require support in social and emotional development. When a counselor addresses social and emotional growth, students show improvements in academic behaviors such as attending to tasks, raising their hands before speaking, and completing assignments. This demonstrates that social-emotional work yields dividends in the academic domain as well. Group sessions at the elementary level typically occur during lunch or recess time (Steen & Kaffenberger, 2007).

References

Bostick, D., & Anderson, R. (2009). Evaluating a small-group counseling program: A model for program planning and improvement in the elementary setting. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), 428–434.

Crandell, T., Crandell, C., & Vander Zanden, J. (2009). Human development (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Huss, S., Bryant, A., & Mulet, S. (2008). Managing the quagmire of counseling in a school: Bringing the parents onboard. Professional School Counseling, 11(6), 362–367.

Lazovsky, R. (2008). Maintaining confidentiality with minors: Dilemmas of school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(5), 335–346.

Luck, L., & Webb, L. (2009). School counselor action research: A case example. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), 408–413.

Myers, J., Shoffner, M., & Briggs, M. (2002). Developmental counseling and therapy: An effective approach to understanding and counseling children. Professional School Counseling. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_3_5/ai_83037909/

Quiroz, H., Arnette, J., & Stephens, R. (2006). Bullying chalk talk. National School Safety Center.

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. (2010). In your classroom. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from www.actsofkindness.org

Roaten, G., & Schmidt, E. (2009). Using experiential activities with adolescents to promote respect for diversity. Professional School Counseling, 12(4), 309–314.

Scarborough, J., & Luke, M. (2008). School counselors walking the walk and talking the talk: A grounded theory of effective program implementation. Professional School Counseling, 11(6), 404–416.

Singh, A., Urbano, A., Haston, M., & McMahon, E. (2010). School counselors' strategies for social justice change: A grounded theory of what works in the real world. Professional School Counseling, 13(3), 135–146.

Steen, S., Bauman, S., & Smith, J. (2007). Professional school counselors and the practice of group work. Professional School Counseling, 11(2), 72–80.

Steen, S., & Kaffenberger, C. (2007). Integrating academic interventions into small group counseling in elementary school. Professional School Counseling, 10(5), 516–519.

Turkel, A. (2007). Sugar and spice and puppy dogs' tails: The psychodynamics of bullying. Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry, 35(2), 243–259.

Van Velsor, P. (2009). School counselors as social-emotional learning consultants: Where do we begin? Professional School Counseling, 13(1), 50–59.

Wired Safety Group. (2010). Stop cyberbullying. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://stopcyberbullying.org/

Young, A., Hardy, V., Hamilton, C., Biernesser, K., et al. (2009). Empowering students: Using data to transform a bullying prevention and intervention program. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), 413–421.