Japanese children’s perspectives on the

Title	The voice from the area through the seminar on peer support at the central community centre of Takasaki city
Author	Sumio morikawa, Kuniko Nakahara, Takeshi Kakegawa and Masumi Yoshida.
Year & publisher	(2005) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To summarise and report the 3 years practices of peer support activities led by Takasaki city council.
Type of Peer Support	After the trainings were given to pupils who joined the programme, they provided befriending and peer counselling.
Samples	In total, 33 lower secondary school pupils, 18 upper secondary school pupils and 4 primary school pupils received social skill trainings.
Method	Regularly city council organized social skill training sessions for pupils. After the training sessions, pupils were asked to answer the questionnaire survey about peer support training sessions.
Findings	Pupils frequently mentioned that through the trainings, they could improve their communication skills. Most of pupils mentioned that the training itself were so fun and each training programme’s aim was clear. Also some pupils who had experienced being “school refusal”, could overcame their difficulty to go to school.
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Title	From a life committee to a peer support committee
Author	Shigemi Inoue
Year & publisher	(2005) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To summarise and report the 3 years practices of peer support activities in a lower secondary school.
Type of Peer Support	The selected pupils who received the training, provide peer counselling and befriending.
Samples	in total, 30 pupils joined the peer support training sessions during 3 years.
Method	After the training and activities, the questionnaire surveys were carried out among peer supporters. (The study did not employ any statistical method).
Findings	The study found that most pupils gave positive feedbacks on the social skill trainings. Especially pupils thought that their communication skills were greatly improved and also they could joyfully join the training. In addition pupil frequently felt that peer support training were very useful activities to improve peer relationship in school.
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Title	Peer support by voluntary students in high school
Author	Toshikatsu Takasu
Year & publisher	(2005) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To summarise and report the 3 years practices of peer support activities in a upper secondary school.
Type of Peer Support	The selected pupils who received the training. Types of peer support activities were not unknown.
Samples	Annually 8 to 15 pupils joined the peer support training.
Method	After the training, the questionnaire surveys were carried out among peer supporters. (The study did not employ any statistical method).
Findings	The study found that a large number of pupils had positive feedbacks. Especially majority of them felt that gaining the communication skills was very meaningful and I want use these skills for the rest of my life. However, more than half pupils mentioned that they did not use the gained skill in the daily life.
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Title	Practice of the peer support for all students
Author	Hiroko Nakabayashi
Year & publisher	(2005) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore the experiences and perspective of lower secondary school pupils about peer support programme
Type of Peer Support	All the pupils in school were given the peer support training and occasionally supporting activities were organised in school. Types of peer support activities were befriending, charity work, clearing class room, group game and recreational activities.
Samples	All the pupils in school (n= not available)
Method	After the training, all the pupils answered the questionnaire surveys about pupils’ experience, advantages and disadvantages of peer support programme. (The study did not employ any statistical method).
Findings	Most pupils mentioned that they enjoyed the training sessions and the training urged them to reconsider their behaviours in daily life. Many pupils were satisfied with receiving the training. Also pupils had some negative feedbacks such as, the training was so difficult to do.
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Title	Memorial lecture; “Review on psychological education and peer support in class room settings”
Author	Kenji Kameguchi
Year & publisher	(2005) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To report an aspect of the meaning of psychological education for school children.
Type of Peer Support	n/a
Samples	n/a
Method	n/a
Findings	Psychological education (e.g. learning counselling theories) seems to be educationally a very meaningful activity for children’s emotional development, and it seems much more effective to give more opportunities to children in order to improve their behaviours and create supportive family relationships.
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Title	Development of psychological development scale for junior high students
Author	Shinji Kurihara, Takaya Kohyama, Toshiyuki Tanida, Hiromi Tsuyama, Tetsuya Takahashi.
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To develop the psychological development scale for junior high school pupils.
Type of Peer Support	n/a
Samples	Samples were 1365 secondary school pupils. Response rate was 66.7% (male 439, female 471).
Method	The study employs principal factor solution to produce factors for making subscales. According to the subscales, authors created psychological development scale.
Findings	n/a
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Title	Research on the effect of peer support activities in the elementary school
Author	Masahi Mihara
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore the experiences of elementary school pupils about peer support activities.
Type of Peer Support	All the pupils in a classroom were given the peer support training. Types of peer support activities were befriending and peer mediation.
Samples	In total, 46 4th year elementary school pupils (23 pupils who received the training, and 23 pupils who were control group.
Method	After the training and activities, the pupils answered the questionnaire about pupils’ experience, advantages and disadvantages of peer support programme. The study employ pre- and post test using ANOVA.
Findings	The study found that pupils who joined the training, significantly increased their score of self-affirmation after the peer support training. Also study showed that pupils significantly increased both their social skills and willingness to learn after the training and supporting activates.
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Title	Study of peer support in Japan – Attitude survey of the practioners and researchers –
Author	Maruko Tsuruta
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore the experiences and perspective of the practioners, teachers, counsellors and researchers about peers support programme.
Type of Peer Support	Not specified.
Samples	Sample was 304 primary and lower secondary school teachers and researches, and 179 of them answered the survey (response rate; 58.9%).
Method	Questionnaire survey was employed asking about teachers and researchers’ views and experiences on peer support. Also the study employs t-test, ANOVA, chi-square test and factor analysis.
Findings	The study found that most teachers and researchers believe conducting peer support in school give strong influence for making the relationship of mutual trust among pupils. A large number of teachers mentioned that the concept of peer support programme seem be attractive to Japanese school for improving school climate.
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Title	Peer support activities by student government
Author	Miki Fujikame
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore how peer support-led by student council members give impacts on other pupils in lower secondary school and peer supporters.
Type of Peer Support	The selected pupils (n=12) were worked as peer supporter. They prepared for performing a drama which was meant to show how important is that pupils support each other in school.
Samples	The lower secondary school pupils (n=400)
Method	After performing the drama, 400 pupils answered questionnaire survey asking about the drama, their feelings and attitudes. The study employs ANOVA.
Findings	Most pupils had positive feedbacks on toward the drama itself. Also the study examined how the third year pupils (n=165) have changed their attitudes and behaviours after seeing the drama, and the results showed that 35 pupils answered “yes, changed (improved)”, however, 111 pupils answered “neither yes nor no”, and 19 pupils answered “no, did change”. Even though, a large number of pupils had positive feedbacks on the drama itself, it seems like the drama had less impact on pupils’ behavioural changes.
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Title	A study on peer support in Toyohashi commercial high school – an attempt of students in school health committee -
Author	Mitsuyo Kondo & Makoto Sakai
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore how peer support training give impacts on pupils’ behaviours and emotional developments.
Type of Peer Support	The selected pupils (n=31) joined the peer support training and the trainings were conducted 10 times during 10 weeks. This study aim to examine the effectiveness of the training and did not organise the supporting activities.
Samples	Samples ware 69 high school pupils (33 pupils were to receive the training and 38 pupils were control group.
Method	33 pupils joined the training sessions 10 times. After the training, all the participants (n=69) answered various questionnaire surveys (i.e. Relationship scale (Kokubu, 2003), Normative attitude toward helping (Hakoi et al, 1987), Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and General health questionnaire (GHQ) (Goldberg, 1978). The study employs Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Findings	The study found that after the training and activities, pupils increased their social skills score and esteem. Also regarding the relationship scale, there was a significant difference between pupils who received the training and a control group, and it seemed that peer support training positively influence pupils’ relationships. se the relationship scales. The study also showed that most pupils were satisfied with the training.
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Title	Practice of the peer support programme in the junior high school in a school wide style – it used in moral education for all grade -
Author	Tetsuya Takahashi & Shinji Kurihara
Year & publisher	(2006) Japanese Annals of Peer Support.
Aims	To explore how peer support programme influence all the pupils in junior school.
Type of Peer Support	The type of peer support was not specified. But all the pupils received the peer support training once a month, and in total, 9 sessions were conducted.
Samples	713 junior high school pupils in a school received the training (response rate, 76%). Also from the other junior high schools, 653 pupils participated as a control group (response rate, 56%).
Method	Pre- and post-test (using ANOVA) were conducted before and after the training. The pupils answered the questionnaire survey about their emotional and behavioural developments.
Findings	The study found that after the training, pupils who received the training, significantly increased their scores on 4 subscales; friendship skills, self-esteem, satisfaction in school, and the sense of symbiosis. Also the study found that pupils who had anti-social behaviours or relationship problems in the past had comparatively the lower level of relationship skills. In addition, 70% of pupils who received the training, mentioned that the peer support training were essential programme for school children to encourage their emotional and behavioural developments.
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