As the number of students who enter school with familial and social problems grows, counselors are required to help integrate students into the school system and prepare them for life outside of school. Counselors help students with any of these areas: academic achievement, social development, career development and personal development. They approach these tasks by giving students counseling, rehabilitation and support services.
Counselors at elementary schools deal primarily with behavioral and social problems, because students are just learning to fit in and follow directions. Many elementary students do not have a full grasp of their emotions and do not understand the consequences of misbehaving. Elementary counselors often meet with students to work on these issues. Because these young students may have home environments that differ greatly from the school environment, counselors help the students adjust to school.
Middle school and junior high school are typically times of great growth for students. Students, instead of looking to parents and teachers for affirmation of ideas or behavior, look to peers for validation. As a result, many students lash out against authority figures, and counselors must often act as mediators with the students and school administration. In this stage, counselors assume the role of a parent or friend, and personally help students resolve social conflicts. This is also the stage at which students begin to specialize in certain academic areas, and counselors often help with scheduling to help students hone their interests.
Secondary school takes all of the anxieties and peer problems that students have developed in middle school and infuse them with problems revolving around sex, drugs and alcohol. As a result, counselors must try to help children understand the long term consequences for certain behaviors. In addition, secondary school counselors aid students in their search for careers or higher learning by assembling resources and materials for the students. Counselors may also help students take the required classes or tests in order to prepare them for a vocation or institution of higher learning.