Peer helping is simply people helping other people. When people experience frustrations, worries, concerns, and other life events, they typically turn to their friends, not professionals, for help, advice, practical assistance, and support. Our job is to strengthen what friends have to offer, thereby increasing a person’s ability to find a safe and satisfying solution. Friends can also assist in determining the need for referral to professionals and can often provide the empathy, understanding, and practical support needed to resolve a number of dilemmas.

Peer helping can take place virtually anywhere. Although elementary and secondary schools are probably the most popular sites for peer helping, peer helping programs and services have been established in universities, colleges, hospitals, clinics, community centres, unions, businesses and corporations.

Peer helping can take place at any age. Peer programs have been established for little kids, teens, young adults and senior citizens.

Peer helping takes many different forms. The term “peer helping” is a generic term which includes activities or titles such as: peer tutoring, peer support, peer facilitation, peer mediation, peer conflict resolution, peer counselling, peer education, peer ministry, peer health workers, peer ambassadors, and peer leaders. The term peer helping is used as an umbrella to include all the types of peer programs mentioned above.

While peer helping can include a variety of approaches, it is different from peer groups and self-help or support groups. Both Peer Resources and the National Peer Helpers Association have independently developed standards that help to identify peer helping. According to Peer Resources, peer helping is typically characterized by the following components:
Peers are self-nominated or selected by members of their peer group(s);
Peers are volunteers, but may receive some type of compensation for their involvement;
The peer volunteers receive need-based, goal-directed and experiential skill training from a qualified peer trainer;
The peer volunteers are supervised on a regular basis; and
The more experience the peers have, the more they are involved in the selection, training, and supervision of other peers.
Some Examples of Peer Helping might include:
Computer users seek out others for help in solving problems
Police officers help other officers deal with trauma
Elementary school students mediate conflicts between other students
Experienced employees show new employees “the ropes”
A friend listens while another friend describes a problem
Students tutor other students
Co-workers help colleagues manage work challenges
Seniors help each other with loneliness and grief
Workers act as peer referral sources for an Employee Family Assistance Program
Executives orient other managers to steps for success
High school students educate others about substance abuse prevention
Experienced parents support new parents
People who have overcome adversity help others to do the same
Hockey players coach other hockey players
Street kids educate other street kids on AIDS prevention
Source: http://www.peer.ca/peerdefinitions.html