Social Competence of Peer Counsellors: Descriptive Study on Youth

Community in Bali

Ni Komang Tri Agustini

, Yayi Suryo Prabandari

and Wenny Artanty Nisman

ITEKES Bali (Institute of Technology and Health Bali), Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing UGM Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Department of Pediatric and Maternity Nursing, Faculty of Medicine,

Public Health and Nursing UGM Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Keywords: Peer Counselor, Social Competence, Peer Counseling.

Abstract: The existence of peer counsellors was expected to help adolescents. Social competence was social

knowledge, self-confidence, empathy, social sensitivity, an emotional ability to capture their environmental

needs. Objective: This study aimed to describe the social competence of peer counsellor and process of peer

counselling. Methods: The study was a qualitative descriptive case studies through in-depth interview to

collect the data. Six peer counsellors and youth program nurse in public health centre were interviewed

twice. Data was analysed by Colaizzi’s method. Results: The characteristic of teenagers age were 16 – 19

years with the variety of level education. The ability to recognize their ownself’s ability and being

empathetic towards others, good communicator and listener as a counsellor’s ability and counselling was

facilitated in relaxed atmosphere. Conclusion: Competence of peer counsellor was able to prevent

adolescent negative behaviour.

1 INTRODUCTION

Adolescence phase is a full of conflict phase,

vulnerable and need to be maintained properly. In

this phase adolescents experience several of

complex changes, including physical changes,

behaviour and identity search. Problems experienced

by adolescents can occur due to lack of information

about reproductive health. Knowledge of

adolescent’s reproductive health showed that

adolescent’s knowledge about reproductive health is

inadequate, only 35.5% of teenage girls and 31.2%

of teenage boys aged 15-19 years know that women

can become pregnant with one time sexual

intercourse (Ministry of Health Republic of

Indonesia, 2016). Thus, it is required a strategy in

improving the knowledge of adolescent reproduction

health.

The presence of peer counsellorswas important

to improve the knowledge of adolescent

reproductive health. Adolescent weremore

comfortable to consult the problem and find its

solutions with their peer. Currently, the development

of peer counsellor programs not only focus on peer

counsellors in schools, but also in communities for

example in Bali Province especially showed through

sekehe truna truni (STT). STT is a youth community

association in Bali. The task of peer counsellors in

this community is to provide information to

adolescents on how to access reproductive health

services and build community support on adolescent

reproductive health (Sotolongo et al., 2017) Access

to the effective reproductive health services is done

through the approach of adolescent in the

community (Denno, Hoopes and Chandra-Mouli,

2015) Peer counsellors should be established not

only in schools but also in the community (House,

Tevendale and Martinez-Garcia, 2017)

A preliminary study conducted through

interviews of youth program holders at several

public health centres in Bali encountered the

problem that adolescents have not utilized

adolescent health facilities despite the establishment

of peer counsellors. Interviews on adolescents in the

community explained that the implementation of

reproductive health information activity to the

teenagers was not routinely performed by

counsellors. Predisposing factors of the lack of

utilization of adolescent health services was the lack

of teenagers’ knowledge and the unclearness in

Agustini, N., Prabandari, Y. and Nisman, W.

Social Competence of Peer Counsellors: Descriptive Study on Youth Community in Bali.

DOI: 10.5220/0008199800240030

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference of Indonesian National Nurses Association (ICINNA 2018), pages 24-30

ISBN: 978-989-758-406-0

deliveringinformation. Lack of peer counsellor

ability in performing counselling can be influenced

by many things, both from within the counsellor

itself and environment. The level of education and

experience to providecounselling could affect the

information provided and determined the success of

counselling(Mpanza and Nzima, 2010)

As a peer counsellor who was expected to solve

peer problems through counselling, social

competence greatly affected by their role

performance as a counsellor (Low et al., 2015). The

social competence that counsellors have to possess

was social knowledge, self-confidence, empathy,

social sensitivity, emotional ability to capture their

environmental needs (Mustaffa et al., 2013). The

purpose of this study was to describe the social

competence of peer counsellor and process of peer

counselling.

2 METHODS

2.1 Research Design and Participants

The study was a qualitative descriptive case studies

through in-depth interview to collect the data. The

research was conducted in Pedungan sub-district of

Public Health Centre IV South Denpasar from

January to February 2018. Six peer counsellors and

youth program nurse in public health centre were

interviewed twice. The data saturation test was done

by interviewing one more participant to ensure that

saturation has been achieved. The participant's

inclusion criteria interviewed were: a) the

participants were peer counsellors in the community,

b) having counsellor training experience and

experience providing peer counselling, c) able to

share experiences in peer counselling, and d) willing

to participate in the study.

2.2 Data Collection

The selection of participants was conducted with the

recommendation of key informant (youth program

nurse in public health centre). Key informant was

chosen because she was considered closer to peer

counsellors and known the activities of peer

counsellors. After got the appropriate participant, the

researcher contact the participant and determined the

time and place of interview. Semi-structured

interview performed twice for each participant.

Interviews were recorded using a tape recorder and

transcribed. The duration of the interview at the first

meeting was forty five-sixty minutes and the second

meeting was ten-fifteen minutes for member

checking. Triangulation in this study included

triangulation of sources toimprove credibility and

conformability of research results.

2.3 Data Collection Procedure

Ethical approval was granted by the local committee

issued on December 20, 2017 with the number

KE/FK/1305/EC 2017. First phase researcher

discussed with youth program nurse in public health

centre and explained the research process that will

be conducted and the ask helped from the nurse to

be willing to become the key informant.The second

phase was an interview to peer counsellors by

screening demographic data and requesting

recommendation to key informant about peer

counsellor who appropriate be interviewed and

being able to provide the required information

according to the inclusion criteria of the research.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted twice

each participant.

2.4 Data Analysis

The results of interview was analysed by Colaizzi’s

method. This method was able to explain the

meaning of an experience by identifying the main

themes that emerged from the studied, involving

observation and analysis of human attitudes in the

environment. In addition, this method was the only

method that encouraged participants to validate the

results of the research by making transcripts from

the recordings, then grouping significant statements,

formulating meaning, grouping meaningful

statements into sub themes and themes, and

describes through the full description, as well as

validating the description of the results.

3 RESULTS

3.1 Theme 1: The Ability to Recognize

Own Self and Empathize toward

Others Are the Important

Competence of Peer Counsellor

The ability to recognize ownself and empathize

toward others are the important competence of peer

counsellor theme defined as the prominent

competency of counsellor includes three categories

such as counsellor able to recognize ownself,

understanding others and able to empathize as a

counsellor.

Social Competence of Peer Counsellors: Descriptive Study on Youth Community in Bali

3.1.1 The Ability to Recognize Own Self

Ability

The ability to recognize their own potential is useful

to their self and others. The ability on recognize

their own self described by the ability of participant

to explain the goods and bad of their own self as this

follow participant stated:

“I don’t really smart at health knowledge and when

spoke I still nervous”(Participant 4)

Participant aware of the goods and the bad on their

ownself and make them recognize the action needed

to be done to optimize their potential, as stated

below:

“I think it’s okay if I lack of knowledge because I

can learn” (Participant 3)

3.1.2 The Ability to Understand Other

The full of conflict teenage need the role of peer

counsellor that able to become a bridge between

teenager and health services. To be able to receive as

a friend, counsellor has to possess the ability to

understand others. Counsellor showed their ability to

understand others mind and feelings by not forcing

them to expose their problem.

“.....tomorrow or the day after tomorrow I’ll ask

until he/she tell the story, so the problem solved can

not be done in two or three days.” (Participant 1)

The ability to understand other described through

this research which counsellor able to keep the

problem teenager feelings. Counsellor able to

respect other, not express the words that make

counselee offended and keep the counselee feelings,

as stated:

“...when talk to a friend cant be direct telling “

youmust have done that, right? Have sexual

intercourse? Can’t be like that, the friend can be so

ashamed and not telling me at all” (Participant 4)

3.1.3 The Ability to Show Counsellor’s

Empathy

The ability in empathize showed when counsellor

also feel what the counselee feels, be in the same

shoes as the teenager feels and faces so the

counsellor able to stand in the right point of view as

stated:

“...we have to be in their position and feel their

feelings so the counselee can tell the story

comfortably” (Participant 1)

The ability of counsellor to recognize the need and

feelings of counselee is the way to show the caring

to the teenager.

“...I say you can tell me without worry your secret

exposed, I have to keep the secret.”(Participant 3)

3.2 Theme 2: The Ability of Become a

Good Communicator and Listener

as a Counsellor’s Ability in

Community

This second theme includes two category as follows:

the ability of counsellor in becoming role model and

the ability of counsellor in helping counselee’s

problem.

3.2.1 The Ability of Counsellor Becoming a

Communicator

Generally, peer counsellor have possessed the

understanding to the duty as a counsellor in the

society. This showed when a counsellor able to

become a role model in the society. The criteria of

prospective counsellor was able to be role model to

the teenagers around them. Peer counsellor

competence related to their duties in society was the

ability to convey the information to adolescent in

society, as expressed by the participants:

“in here, the counsellor gave the information, in

society we gave the right information, which one is

good for the adolescent”(Participant 5)

“might be as the intermediary, we entered to

counsellor’s group and we gave the information

which shared in the group”(Participant 4)

3.2.2 The Ability of Counsellor in Becoming

a Good Listener

In facing teenager’s problem, counsellor showed the

caring attitude towards the teenager’s problem.

Counsellor able to understand counselee’s attitude

and the problem they face, even on the limited

health information but in implementation counsellor

able to show that they able to stay by teenager’s side

when they need peer friend. Participant stated as

follow:

“...even though I can’t t give the solution right away,

I can be relied on as chat buddy.” (Participant 2)

The ability of counsellor does not limited to giving

advices, but also able to give real support like

motivation to seek a doctor and remind the

counselee to do proper health treatment especially

reproduction health correctly.

“...hmm the support such as provide them

information, then motivate them to seek the health

ICINNA 2018 - The 1st International Conference of Indonesian National Nurses Association

service and for example the problem doesn’t need to

be counselled and seek a doctor, then keep support

them to do the right thing.” (Participant 3)

3.3 Theme 3: Counselling Was

Facilitated in Relaxed Atmosphere,

Fears and Taboo Was a Barrier in

Conducting Peer Counselling

This third theme consisted of four category as

follows, the implementation of peer counselling, the

difficulty of counsellor in peer counselling, public

health centre support in peer counselling and the

responses toward the information given.

3.3.1 Implementation of Peer Counselling

Was Facilitated in Relaxed

Atmosphere

The implementation of peer counselling done

indirectly. The counselling done through private

message between counsellor and counselee. The

ability of counsellor in this is giving information on

the effort needed to be done to solve the problem.

Counsellor express that counsellor provided needed

information to the counselee. This is expressed

through this follow participant stated:

"Here I just give the information that i know, then

try to give the advice like telling them to see the

doctor or go to the public health centre to get

everything (about the health problem)

cleared."(Participant 1)

“they suddenly texted me because they need the

information.” (Participant 3)

3.3.2 The Counselee’s Fears in Conducting

Peer Counselling

The ability of a counsellor to motivate the counselee

in telling the story is not completely optimal, even

though they can invite the teenager to tell the story,

there still remained uncovered information. This

described when participant express the difficulty in

interacting with problem possessed teenager as

stated:

"It is difficult to interact with the people who have

problem because sometimes they tell uncompleted

story, like there is something they hide because

maybe they were embarrassed or whatever the

reason" (Participant 1)

There are still a lot of teenagers that unwilling to tell

their story because they are ashamed and afraid to

tell about the problem they face. Participant express

that there were teenagers who don’t tell their story

because they were embarrassed and frightened as

stated by follow participant:

“.... it is a rare case when he/she wants’ to be told to

tell her/his problem. He/she said he/she is afraid and

embarrassed.” (Participant 5)

The participant also stated the difficulty in

conducting peer counselling when the teenager still

assume that the teenage who counsel their problem

are possess sexual transmitted disease so they are

afraid of being intimidated by others. Participant

stated:

“maybe the obstacle of them not telling their

problem was the frights of other’s intimidation of

them having problem with their body, but that was

not true” (Participant 1)

3.3.3 Public Health Centre Support in the

Implementation of Peer Counselling

The existed public health centre support was through

socialization about teenage reproduction health, the

information to the peer counsellor and the

cooperation with third party on providing health

information to the teenagers, such as stated by this

following participant:

"Public Health centre invite the teenagers

(Generation of Youth) ambassadors as the speakers

on giving health education" (Participant 1)

The public health centre routinely provided teenager

reproduction health that disseminate through peer

counsellor group

“public health centre support is giving the

information about health problems, about when can

be counselled, such as when there was a friend who

needs counselling” (Participant 3)

The teenager counselling services in public health

centre is provided when there were teenagers needed

a consultations with the health workers whether

doctors or nurses.

“as far as I know, there was a counselling service in

public health centre, it was once explained by the

public health centre’s staff” (Participant 2)

3.3.4 The Taboo Responses toward the

Information given

Counsellor conducted their tasks in giving

reproduction health information, there were still

teenagers viewed it as a taboo things as stated by

following participant:

Social Competence of Peer Counsellors: Descriptive Study on Youth Community in Bali

“when we give such information, like reproduction

health information, we are reckoned as inform nasty

things so it was taboo for them” (Participant 1)

Participant stated it was difficult to gather the

teenagers on an activity done by peer counsellor or

the activities initiated by public health centre such as

cadre refreshment or health education. The statement

is as follow:

“...so yeah, when we try to gather them or else a lot

of them not coming, such as the health education on

smoking or drugs, there are teenagers who come

and don’t, maybe because they have other

activities.”(Participant 2)

From the interviews, there were still a lot of teenager

don’t understand the role and function of peer

counsellor in the society. This was as stated by

following participant:

“so far there was never a criticism, maybe because

they don’t really understand what counsellor

is”(Participant 2)

“maybe there were people who knows and doesn’t.

Not all of people know peer counsellor exist. They

don’t really understand what peer counsellor

is”(Participant 4)

4 DISCUSSION

Social competence in counselling will be able to

choose the various behaviours as expected and

maintain positive relationships with other

individuals (Schulte and Barrera, 2010) Social

competence was seen as the ability to successfully

meet complex demands in specific contexts covering

the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects (Kim et al.,

2007). This result explained that counsellors who

had a good social competence will be able to expand

interpersonal relationships in their environment. The

results of this study in line with research conducted

(Jaafar et al., 2011)the strength of social competence

will improve a person's ability in fostering friendship

and increase motivation to help.

According to (Brammer, 2003) the counsellor

requires awareness of their position independently,

having an awareness of who they are, their role, the

reason they decided become a counsellor and

realized their function as a helper in the

environment. The counsellor’s consciousness and

ability to understand their self could increase the

responsibilities of their role and tasks as a

counsellor. This result stated that counsellors who

were able to understand themselves will find it

easier to understand others. In helping others, the

counsellor was able to appreciate the feelings of

others and can appreciate the feelings experienced

by that person. This ability will create a sense of

sensitivity to others, the counsellor not only seen

from their side as a counsellor, but able to see from

different perspectives. The ability of a counsellor

who was able to understand theirself and others will

create an empathetic attitude to the counsellor. In

early-stage adolescence development tended to use

peer groups as a source of emotional support to

adapt (Weissberg and Elias, 1993) These aspects

will continue to be honed if the counsellor can

instantly feel and interact in various situations and

conditions. (Willis, 2004). The empathetic attitude

of the counsellor shown is being able to accept

others as they are. In order for a person to produce a

certain competence, they must be in many situations

where there were appropriate models, observe and

evaluate what was observed, compare the models

with each other. Counsellor’s characteristic will be

perceived positively if their attitude, behaviour and

daily deeds were good in terms of social norms was

good. According to (Corrigan et al., 1980) the

characteristics of a good counsellor will make

teenagers see the counsellor as a person who can

help the teenager in dealing with problems that are

facing them(Willis, 2004). Competence of

interpersonal communication has five aspects: the

ability to initiate, open up, assertiveness, provide

emotional support and resolve conflict. Thus the

ability of counsellors in providing appropriate

information and useful to others will be better

(Susan Leigh and James R., 1987).This research

described the process of counsellingin the

community was spontaneous and informal while

maintaining the privacy of the adolescent.

Counselling services were effective when teenagers

(clients) felt the results or benefit after counselling

with counsellors(Bett, 2013).

In carrying out its duties in the counselling

process, counsellor’s difficulty in counselling is a

negative feeling of the counselee, teenagers who

were difficult to tell the problem to the counsellor

caused by negative thoughts and feelings of the

teenagers itself. The lack of good interaction

between counsellor and counselee was caused by the

feeling of shame to tell the problem and the person

of the covered counselee (Tork and Al Hosis, 2015)

This was in line with research stated that the low

adolescent for counselling because of

embarrassment and fear to come to counselling,

stigma from the environment that resulted in

ICINNA 2018 - The 1st International Conference of Indonesian National Nurses Association

unresolved adolescent problems (Solikhah and

Nurdjannah, 2018)

The research showed the knowledge of

adolescents and the community about the existence

of peer counsellors in the community was not evenly

distributed well. Many teenagers in the community

who did not know the existence of peer counsellors

in the community (Tindall, J. A., & Gray,

2015)suggested that if a person has a problem, they

will first speak to a friend or peer group then to a

professional counsellor. Many people tend to be

more comfortable to share their problems with their

close friends / peers than teachers or parents

(Brammer, 2003). The results of this study in line

with what stated that the need for good cooperation

between the parties involved in (Roghanchi et al.,

2013)providing socialization and enhancement of

the ability of counsellors. Cooperation could be a

continuous training of peer counsellors so that peer

counsellors understand the role and duty in

providing information and motivate other teenagers

to behave healthy. The weakness in this study was

that researchers could not observe peer counselling

activities conducted by peer counsellors. This

happened because peer counsellors conducted peer

counselling not in formally using a special room, but

counselling peer was done by telling stories and chat

done with peers through mobile application such as

whatsapp, line, and others.

5 CONCLUSIONS

Three themes described the social competence of

peer counsellor in conducting peer counselling on

the society were 1) The ability to recognize their

ownself’s ability and being empathetic towards

others are the important competence of peer

counsellor, 2) The ability of become a good

communicator and listener as a counsellor’s ability

in community, and 3) Counselling was facilitated in

relaxed atmosphere, but fears and taboo was a

barrier in conducting peer counselling.

This study described the social competence of

peer counselors and the process of peer counseling

in the community. Social competence of peer

counselors was the ability to recognise oneself and

others and showed empathy to the teenager.

Counselors also had the ability to be communicator

and good listener for the adolescent. Counseling in

the community was spontaneous and informal while

maintaining the privacy of the adolescent. The future

study will explore the difficulties experienced by

counselors, the response of adolescents who got

health information, and support of public health

center that have been given.

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ICINNA 2018 - The 1st International Conference of Indonesian National Nurses Association