February 6, 2006     

Contact:  Jill Cook (703) 683-2722 Ext.105   Elaine Yin (202) 857-2202

(Alexandria, VA)— The role of school counselors is expanding, according to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) as it celebrates National School Counseling Week, Feb. 6-10. Today, counselors are addressing myriad personal and social issues that can become barriers to learning.

On top of the drive to make good grades, students contend with peer pressure, bullying, temptation to use drugs and alcohol, school violence and even natural disasters. To ensure that students achieve both academically and socially, school counselors are the primary and often the only in-school professional assisting them with these challenges. In fact, a recent study shows that school counselors are spending more than half of their time addressing students’ mental health issues.

The theme of this year’s School Counseling Week is ‘Changing Lives, Building Futures.” “Every day, school counselors address barriers to learning and academic success,” said. Barbara Blackburn, ASCA president. “Now more than ever, it’s important for parents and counselors to work together to address fears, anxieties and other challenges in a young person’s life.”

Numerous studies document the nature of pressures facing today’s students:

• Nearly one in three girls and one in four boys report being highly stressed.
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds.
• Among students nationwide, 5.4 percent had not gone to school on one or more days in the last month because they felt unsafe.
• Between 15 to 25 percent of students are bullied with some to moderate frequency.
• More than half of sixth-graders report peer pressure to drink beer, wine or liquor. One of every three sixth graders say they feel pressured to use marijuana.

School counselors can make a measurable impact in every student’s life. Professional school counselors are trained in both educating and counseling. Research literature has documented the effectiveness of school counselors and school counseling programs in such areas as preventing suicide, reducing anxiety, and preventing aggressive and hostile behavior. 

“School counselors are the first line of support for students. Students can’t achieve academically
when they can't cope with social and emotional problems,” said Richard Wong, ASCA executive director. “School counselors can help guide students in their journey through childhood and adolescence.” 

ASCA encourages parents to maintain an open dialogue with their child’s counselor and establish contact in-person, or via phone and email at least three times per school year. A strong parent-counselor relationship remains the single best tool in addressing student concerns before they become major issues, according to ASCA.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports the school counseling profession by educating the public about the positive and measurable impact school counselors have on student success. The organization also supports school counselors' efforts to improve each student's academic, personal, social, and career development so he or she excels in school and is prepared to lead a fulfilling life as a responsible member of society. ASCA provides professional development, publications, research, and advocacy to more than 18,000 professional school counselors around the world. For more information about ASCA and its mission, visit www.SchoolCounselor.org.