Sexual assault on campus has emerged as a social issue. This study aims to clarify appropriate support facilitating “recovery” for student sexual assault survivors. An interview-based survey was conducted from March to September 2021 with 10 experienced supporters dealing with student sexual assault survivors. The transcribed interview data were sorted into sub-data sets based on; 1) time period differentiation, 2) difficulties in providing support, and 3) effectiveness of support in relation to recovery from assault. The data were then analyzed using the quantitative text analysis software KH Coder Version 3.Alpha.15f. Six categories were generated as being effective against assault recovery. The findings of this study suggest that recovery-facilitating support is characterized by “good relationships, mutual support and proper role sharing”, “on-campus teachers and staff showing support and understanding for the victim’s state of mind”, and “supporters providing helpful information regarding support institutions and one-stop support centers freely available to victims”.

This study investigates the effectiveness of college counseling and the psychological development of college students as perceived by counselors. Through a qualitative analysis of open-ended questionnaires, 13 middle categories were generated from 23 small categories to measure the effectiveness of college counseling out of 35 counselors’ replies. They were further divided into 4 large categories: changes in chief complaint/symptoms, changes in college life, holistic changes in a student, and changes in the client-counselor relationship. The psychological development was divided into 8 middle categories from 22 small categories and 3 large categories: holistic changes in a student, social adaptation, and changes through counseling sessions. The indicators of the effectiveness of counseling include the same elements of the psychological development of students. This shows that psychological development is an important sign of a student’s change through counseling sessions. Though the participants in this study were college counselors and not students, the measurement of psychological development by counselors holds importance as it is assumed that some internal changes, such as psychological development, are difficult for students to perceive.

This study reviewed research on student counseling and student support to obtain basic data on recent research trends in Taiwan and in that context makes suggestions for research in Japan. Five research topics were extracted from 43 studies selected from bibliographic databases. These were as follows: the status of student life, factors affecting the mental health of students, promotion of the use of university counseling cen­ters and improvement of counseling services, students’ relationships with their families, and social issues surrounding students. Many studies in Taiwan focused on the adjustment to student life and the promotion of the use of counseling services, both of which were also seen in Japan. But the absence of studies on students with developmental disorders and the fact that many studies were conducted with an awareness of the influence of social and cultural backgrounds were considered to be different from those in Japan. The authors conclude that research focusing on social issues could provide suggestions for studies in Japan. Future research should clarify the differences in subjects of studies conducted in Japan and Taiwan.

The article outlines trends in the student counseling field in the 2022 academic year. The article suggests future directions, based on an article of the Japanese Association of Student Counseling and other related national meetings. The most significant topic was the incorporation of the Japanese Association of Student Counseling. Student support staff are required not only to continue their practice, but also to disseminate information to people inside and outside the university in terms that non-specialists can understand, and to rethink how they can contribute to society. In addition, as in the previous year, many studies focused on themes related to COVID-19, suggested that the support for students was broadening as a result of the accumulation of research and practice. In the future, students will be required to adjust to real campus life after ending the restricted life that was required by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those involved in student support need to establish stronger connections with other parties both inside and outside the university to establish a collaborative system to support students with diverse problems.