The purpose of this study is to develop ‘Solian Peer Counseling program for Korean youth living abroad' based on the model of 'Solian Peer Counseling Program for Korean students' to reduce cultural stresses of Korean youth living abroad, and increas...
The purpose of this study is to develop ‘Solian Peer Counseling program for Korean youth living abroad' based on the model of 'Solian Peer Counseling Program for Korean students' to reduce cultural stresses of Korean youth living abroad, and increase their multi-cultural competence and interpersonal skills. Precedent studies performed in and outside Korea on characteristics and psychological issues of Korean youth living abroad, and other peer counseling programs were examined. In addition, focus-group interviews and depth interviews were conducted with professionals who have experiences of working with Korean youth living abroad. Based on the investigation of precedent researches and interview analyses, the program has divided into three parts which include the three roles of peer counselors - Friendship, Counselorship, and Leadership. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, it was implemented to 20 adolescents, and the assessment tool was given to the participants before and after the program to measure interpersonal skills, bi-cultural self-efficacy, and multi-cultural ability. After its test operation, participant evaluation was also conducted. The results were analyzed by Independent-Samples t-test and Analysis of Covariance(ANCOVA) and it was reported that scores for all three areas - interpersonal skills, self-efficacy and multi-cultural identity - have increased. For program evaluation, 75% of participants showed general satisfaction and more than 90% answered that they would recommend the program to others. At last, this study discusses the implication and limitations of the current program, and proposes for further research.