Harnessing guidance and counseling in schools as a frontline defense against adolescent cyberbullying

Social justice is a theoretical concept that values human dignity and affirms the rights of individuals to decide their own destiny. The term ally refers to the members of dominant social groups who commit themselves to ending systemic oppression and discrimination. The purpose of this study was to introduce three ally identity development frameworks presented by Bishop (2002), Edwards (2006), and Waters (2010) to help school counselors understand the process of becoming an ally. Recommendations for school counselors on how to utilize these frameworks to promote their own, as well as their students’, ally identity development are provided.

Expanding school counseling: The impacts of California funding changes

ABSTRACT Bullying remains a pervasive issue in Australian schools, with significant consequences for students’ academic, emotional, and social wellbeing. Despite widespread anti-bullying initiatives, intervention practices among school staff vary considerably. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of 11 school staff members, including deputy principals, heads of year, school counselors, and teachers, across Queensland, Australia, to identify the factors that influence their decisions to intervene in bullying incidents. Findings reveal that physical and cyberbullying are most likely to prompt escalation, while relational bullying is often deprioritized. Staff roles significantly shape intervention approaches, with teachers focusing on classroom management, counselors addressing mental health impacts, heads of year focusing on punitive as well as restorative practices, and deputy principals mostly employing restorative practices. A lack of time and limited awareness of formal policies were found to hinder consistent responses. These insights show the need for clearer role delineation, targeted professional development, and systemic support to enhance school-wide bullying intervention efforts.

Students of vocational high schools (SMK) from dysfunctional families often experience learning motivation problems, such as low self-confidence and lack of courage to participate actively. This study aims to describe the forms of peer support in non-formal education and to explain the role of peer group interaction in enhancing learning motivation among SMK students from dysfunctional family backgrounds. This research employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. The participants consisted of students from dysfunctional families, peers, and a school counselor. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation conducted outside formal learning hours. The findings indicate that peer support in non-formal education is manifested through emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal support. Flexible and egalitarian peer interactions contribute to students’ sense of acceptance, increased self-confidence, and greater willingness to engage in learning activities. These results highlight the importance of non-formal education as a supportive space for improving learning motivation among students from dysfunctional families.

This research addresses the critical challenge of adolescent substance abuse by developing and evaluating an Islamic-based group guidance and counseling model. Utilizing a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, the study focuses on students at an Islamic senior secondary school in Indonesia to bridge the gap between conventional counseling and faith-integrated interventions. The developed model incorporates twelve core components including rationale, Islamic-based materials, and structured implementation stages grounded in the principles of taqwa (moral consciousness) and tazkiyatun nafs (self-purification). The intervention was tested using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design involving eleventh-grade students. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant transformative impact; baseline self-prevention levels rose from an initial average of 63.9% to 84.2% following the intervention, representing a robust 20.3% increase. Statistical validation through a paired t-test confirmed the model’s effectiveness with a value of 10.912 (p < .001). The findings suggest that integrating Quranic values and ethical reflection into group dynamics creates a moral shield, fostering internalized self-regulation and spiritual resilience against negative peer influences. This research provides a scientifically validated and spiritually responsive framework for school counselors to effectively prevent narcotics, psychotropic, and addictive substances abuse.

BackgroundDiscrimination can greatly impact both physical and mental health due to frequent stressors. Younger individuals, particularly those under the age of 17 years, are more adversely affected by victimization. Within the European Union, Romania exhibits poor rankings concerning LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, queer, and other minority sexual orientations and gender identities) inclusion, with large numbers of LGBTQ+ teenagers experiencing bullying due to their sexual orientation. Given that much of this discrimination and harassment occurs within schools, teachers and counselors are vital in affecting institutional change.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the impact of an intervention on reducing prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community among Romanian teachers and counselors. Most prior interventions of this nature target Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic populations.MethodsIn this randomized controlled trial, we recruited 175 Romanian teachers via a national closed online user group and assigned them to either the experimental or control condition. Participants in the experimental condition received the intervention first and then completed the web-based outcome measures, while those in the control condition completed the measures first and then received the intervention. The intervention, designed for internet-based delivery, consisted of a 1-hour video session led by a pair of researchers. It blended educational information with testimonials of LGBTQ+ people, perspective-taking tasks, and a self-efficacy exercise. We measured LGBTQ+ prejudice (using Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale, Homophobia Scale, and Attitudes Toward Homosexuals Scale), behavioral intentions, self-efficacy, perspective taking, intergroup disgust sensitivity, intergroup anxiety, empathy, factual knowledge about LGBTQ+ issues, as well as participants’ feelings toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.ResultsParticipants in the experimental group (n=89) showed significant reductions in prejudice when using the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (F1,173=7.22; P=.008) when compared to the control group (n=86), but not when using the other 2 attitudinal scales. We also found that the experimental group had warmer feelings (F1,173=4.40; P=.04; d=0.32), were more likely to engage in supportive behaviors (F1,173=13.96; P<.001; d=0.56), displayed more self-efficacy (F1,173=9.14; P=.001; d=0.33), had more factual knowledge (F1,173=11.98; P=.001; d=0.52), and had a higher ability to take the LGBTQ+ perspective after controlling for contact (F1,172=4.77; P=.03; d=0.28). We did not observe significant differences in terms of intergroup disgust sensitivity (F1,173=0.816; P=.37), intergroup anxiety for either positive (F1,173=.383; P=.54) or negative emotions (F1,173=0.51; P=.48), or empathy (F1,173=0.02; P=.89).ConclusionsThe intervention offers initial evidence for the effectiveness of a cost-effective and portable online resource for educators and high school counselors, particularly in regions where negative attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community are prominent. The results show that integrating blended cognitive (information), affective (indirect contact and perspective taking), and behavioral (self-efficacy and empowerment) approaches is a promising avenue for intervention in producing positive outcomes related to LGBTQ+ issues within the school environment.

ABSTRACT The School Counselor Consultation Self-Efficacy Scale (SCCSES) was developed to determine the levels of consultation self-efficacy of school counselors. The research involved a total of 942 school counselors (Female = 76.74%; Male = 23.25%) across four different study groups. Data analysis employed techniques such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Item Validity Analyses, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Criterion Validity Analysis, Test-Retest Reliability, and Internal Consistency Analysis. The findings revealed that the SCCSES comprises a 4-factor, 28-item structure, which includes the dimensions of cultural awareness, process, ethics, and communication. This model accounted for 64.21% of the total variance associated with consultation self-efficacy. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients for the individual factors varied between .81 and.91, with the overall scale reliability found at.95. Test-retest reliability, assessed to provide additional evidence of SCCSES reliability, yielded a correlation of 87 between measurements taken three weeks apart. First and second level confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed the model-data fit. This study was conducted in Türkiye, and the findings are specific to the Turkish context. In addition, the factor structure of the SCCSES was compared with those of similar consultation self-efficacy scales reported in the literature, highlighting both potentially shared (core) and culturally specific features of the construct. Further validation studies are needed to examine the scale’s applicability across different cultural and educational systems.

This study systematically reviews how erosion of self-efficacy predicts burnout among school counselors by synthesizing nine empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 using PRISMA 2020 and Kitchenham’s SLR framework. Findings show that declining self-efficacy consistently predicts higher emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Self-efficacy also mediates the relationship between job resources (role clarity, supervision, training) and counselor well-being, while loneliness and weak organizational support attenuate the protective effects of self-efficacy. Contextual vulnerabilities include crisis management and parental collaboration, where demands often exceed counselors’ capacities. Based on integrated evidence, the study proposes a context-sensitive early-detection framework for Indonesian schools that integrates organizational supports, mastery experiences, and emotional-spiritual interventions. Contributions are threefold: theoretical extension of the Job Demands Resources model, empirical validation of self-efficacy erosion as a predictor of burnout, and practical guidance for prevention. Future research should validate detection instruments and use longitudinal, mixed-method designs in Indonesian settings and implementation studies. Keywords: burnout, school counselors, self-efficacy, loneliness, systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Children and adolescents often disclose sexual abuse to multiple individuals before making an official statement. Disclosures to school counselors provide a critical opportunity to initiate legal procedures. This study examined factors facilitating informal disclosures to school counselors through a retrospective analysis of 345 school-referred case files from a Child Advocacy Center. Findings indicated that adolescent girls abused by peers were three times more likely to disclose, whereas victims were reluctant to make official disclosures when the perpetrator was a family member. Disclosure was primarily initiated through individual consultations (34.9%), peer support (31.6%), and counselor screening forms (15.9%). The results highlight the critical role of school counselors in identifying at-risk children and strengthening early intervention efforts.

Gender-Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) is an educational approach designed to address and challenge gender biases within teaching practices, creating equitable learning environments for both male and female students. In countries like Nigeria, gender disparities persist in education, particularly at the secondary school level. These disparities are influenced by socio-cultural norms, inadequate teacher training, and a lack of gender-sensitive resources, which can hinder students&amp;apos; learning opportunities and academic achievement. In Oyo State, gender-responsive teaching practices remain underexplored, despite their potential to promote educational equity. This study explores the implementation of GRP in secondary schools in Oyo State, focusing on how teachers integrate GRP into their teaching methods, the barriers and facilitators to its mainstreaming, and its impact on student learning, qualitative research design was employed, utilizing two primary data collection methods: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The study included two FGDs with a total of fifteen students (eight and seven participants respectively) and ten KIIs with key stakeholders, including the Director of Quality Assurance, Director of Schools, school counselors, and six secondary school teachers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with the help of Atlas.ti software, focusing on four core objectives: assessing GRP implementation, identifying barriers and facilitators, exploring the perceived significance of GRP for students, and recommending strategies for better integration of GRP. he findings revealed significant barriers, including insufficient teacher training, lack of resources, and resistance due to limited understanding of GRP’s benefits. Despite these challenges, there were also positive facilitators such as teacher willingness and the positive impact of GRP on student engagement and achievement. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance teacher training, increase resource allocation, and foster stronger support for GRP at the school and policy levels to improve educational outcomes and promote gender equality in Oyo State.

ABSTRACT School counselling is an effective means of providing school-based support for young people’s wellbeing. However, the wellbeing of school counsellors themselves and the factors that shape it are relatively underexplored. Such research is particularly sparse in Southeast Asia, where school counselling is an emerging, though quickly developing field. Using Self-Determination Theory as a framework, we investigated the association between need supportive leadership and the wellbeing and engagement of school counsellors in the Philippines. We surveyed 168 in-service school counsellors on need supportive leadership, basic psychological need satisfaction, work engagement, and wellbeing. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model. Results showed that, when counsellors perceived their school leaders as supportive of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, they experienced higher levels of engagement and wellbeing. These associations were mediated by basic psychological needs satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of providing work environments that support counsellors’ basic psychological needs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between ethical perceptions and teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), group organizational citizenship behavior (GOCB), and social loafing (SL). The study examined how formal and caring ethical climates serve as motivational factors that promote positive teacher behaviors. The study participants included 878 teachers, 50 principals, and 50 school counselors from 50 elementary schools. The data was analyzed using multilevel SEM. We found that the teachers’ perception of both formal and caring ethical climates is positively correlated with GOCB, and that their perception of a caring ethical climate is negatively correlated with their SL. Moreover, the principal’s perception of the school’s ethical climate was positively correlated with both teachers’ OCB and, paradoxically, SL. As for motivation, the teachers’ perception of the school’s caring ethical climate was found to be positively correlated with extrinsic motivation and negatively correlated with amotivation. These findings lead to the conclusion that principals should lead the development of a clear ethical framework as a mechanism for promoting school effectiveness.

Background: School counselors have an ethical responsibility to respond effectively to students’ religious and spiritual identities. However, many school counselors report feeling limited in their ability to do so when students’ spiritual and religious issues arise at school. Few resources exist to guide school counselors on appropriate actions for responding to students’ spirituality. Objectives: We sought to explore the existing literature regarding spirituality and school counseling through a systematic scoping review. Specifically, we examined the contexts in which spirituality has been addressed in school counseling literature and aimed to identify the recommendations previous scholars have provided for school counseling practice and research. Research Question: What school counseling literature exists that addresses religion and spirituality in school counseling? Methods: We employed a scoping review methodology to systematically search for and analyze peer-reviewed articles related to spirituality and school counseling. We identified 31 ( n = 31) publications that fit our criteria and examined their abstracts, frameworks, objectives, and recommendations for school counseling practice. Results and Conclusions: Through this scoping review, we sought to explore the publications available for school counselors and identify the remaining gaps regarding spirituality and school counseling scholarship. Although scholars have noted ethical and multicultural considerations for school counselors’ responses to students’ spiritual/religious issues, our findings indicate that many gaps remain related to the recency and scope of scholarship. We provide implications for school counseling research and practice.

Background: School counselor educators are tasked with preparing emerging school counselors in training to address systemic inequities and promote lasting change for pre-K–12 students. The Transforming School Counseling Initiative (TSCI), established nearly 30 years ago, challenged the traditional school counseling model, encouraging a shift toward equity, leadership, and systemic change. Given ongoing ecological factors influencing school counseling, a reassessment of preparation content and structure is timely. Objectives: This study aimed to revisit the foundational tenets of TSCI and determine the current training needs of school counselors in training. Research Question: What changes do you believe need to be made to school counseling preparatory programs in order to effectively prepare emerging school counselors to meet the needs of pre-K–12 students in the 21st century? Methods: This study utilized a three-round Delphi methodology, an iterative, consensus-building process involving an anonymous panel of experts. The panel consisted of 24 initial experts, including school counselors and counselor educators. Results and Conclusions: Across three phases, panelists reached consensus to keep 107 essential items related to program transformation. These items were organized into five primary categories: program structure (24 items); course content (32 items); field experiences (14 items), recruitment, selection, and retention (18 items); and advocacy, outreach, and partnership efforts (19 items). Key needs identified included integrating supports, addressing state licensure needs, enhancing educational-focused content, and focusing on financial considerations and diversity in recruitment. The results reflect the expert panel’s vision for the next iteration of TSCI, providing school counseling programs with a roadmap for necessary review and enhancement.

Introduction: This study advances psychometric innovation in counseling by validating the Indonesian Cultural Intelligence Scale (ID-CQS) for school counselors using the Rasch measurement model. As cultural competence becomes increasingly essential in multicultural education and counseling, there is an urgent need for culturally adaptive and methodologically innovative assessment tools that can enhance the accuracy of psychological measurement.Method: A total of 663 school counselors from various regions of Indonesia participated in the survey. The adaptation process of the ID-CQS followed international standards, including forward–backward translation, expert judgment, and pretesting to ensure semantic and cultural equivalence. Rasch analysis was applied as a modern psychometric approach to assess item functioning, dimensionality, and construct validity.Results: The results demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with a person reliability of 0.92 and an item reliability of 0.99, indicating a stable and precise measurement structure. The separation indices and Wright map confirmed the instrument’s capacity to distinguish among varying levels of cultural intelligence (CQ), supporting its construct validity and internal consistency.Conclusions: The findings provide evidence that the ID-CQS is a reliable and valid outcome of psychometric innovation for assessing cultural intelligence among school counselors. This advancement contributes to the development of evidence-based and culturally responsive counseling practices, enhancing the quality and efficiency of educational and psychological services. Future studies are recommended to conduct cross-cultural validation to expand its global applicability.

In an increasingly diverse educational landscape, the role of school counselors in addressing students' cultural, racial, and social differences has become pivotal. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable multicultural competency assessment tool tailored for school counselors. Using a research and development approach, the instrument was constructed through literature review, expert validation, and empirical testing involving 200 practicing counselors from various educational settings. The results demonstrate high internal consistency and construct validity, revealing three core dimensions: cultural awareness, knowledge of multicultural issues, and responsive counseling skills. This tool serves as a strategic resource for evaluating and enhancing counselors’ readiness to support diverse student populations. Its implementation is expected to improve culturally responsive practices and inform professional training programs for future counselors.

Implementing the Body Project eating disorder prevention program in high schools, colleges, and universities: An implementation guide.

Background: Adolescent mental health is a growing global concern, yet access to professional care is severely limited in many low- and middle-income countries, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). With a profound shortage of school counselors and mental health professionals, teachers are often the de facto frontline for identifying and supporting students in distress. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a low-resource, task-shifting mental health literacy program for secondary school teachers in Vientiane Capital. Methods: A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design was employed. Eighty teachers from 20 secondary schools were recruited; 40 teachers from 10 schools received a culturally adapted, 5-module Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)-inspired training (intervention group), while 40 teachers from 10 matched schools served as a waitlist control. Quantitative data were collected at pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up using validated scales to assess mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, and self-efficacy in providing support. Qualitative data were gathered through post-intervention focus group discussions to explore feasibility, acceptability, and perceived challenges. As a process measure, student disciplinary and referral records were tracked. Results: The intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in mental health knowledge, reductions in social distance stigma, and increased self-efficacy from pre-test to post-test, with effects sustained at the 3-month follow-up, compared to the control group. Qualitative analysis revealed three major themes: (1) Empowerment Through Knowledge and Skills, (2) Navigating Cultural Contexts and Systemic Barriers, and (3) The Emergence of a Supportive School Environment. School records indicated a 25% increase in documented student referrals for psychosocial or behavioral concerns in intervention schools in the three months post-training (a process outcome indicating increased detection), compared to a negligible 2% change in control schools over the same period. Direct student mental health outcomes were not assessed.

Depression among school students is a mental health problem that affects the learning process, academic motivation, and psychological development of students. In the context of educational psychology, adaptive coping strategies are needed that are in harmony with the characteristics of student development as well as cultural and religious values. This study aims to examine the role of sincerity as a form of spiritual coping in dealing with symptoms of depression among students in the school environment and to explore its implications for the practice of educational psychology and school guidance and counseling services. The study uses a narrative literature review approach from scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025 and obtained from accredited academic databases. A total of 12 articles discussing student mental health, academic stress, religious coping and educational psychology were analyzed thematically and narratively. The results of the literature review show a consistent pattern of findings that suggest that sincerity, as well as related concepts such as acceptance and tawakal (trust in God), are often associated with students' ability to cope with academic stress, manage negative emotions, and maintain psychological well-being. The literature reviewed also shows that the value of sincerity helps students interpret academic stress more adaptively and supports emotional stability. Conceptually, sincerity is in line with the principle of acceptance in modern psychology and can be positioned as a potential supporting factor in the psychological development of students in school. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating the value of sincerity into religious education, character education, and Islamic educational psychology-based school guidance and counseling services to support students' psychological well-being holistically and contextually.