No school can be complacent enough to say they don't have any bullying and sometimes the best people to deal with it are the children themselves.

Peer supporting or counselling is a relatively new scheme which enables young people to help each other in times of crisis.

A small group of Year 10 and 11 volunteers are trained to listen to any problems that their classmates might have.

The method can often be more appropriate than adult intervention and fosters a caring environment in the school.

Students from 17 schools and colleges in Hampshire attended the third annual Peer Supporter Conference, held at the Intech Centre, Winchester, where they built on their training, attending workshops and sharing ideas.

"The aim of the conference is to provide these young volunteers with additional skills and awareness in order that they may support their peers more adequately," said Kevin Knight, co-ordinator of the Hampshire Peer Support Group.

Mr Knight is deputy head at the Westgate School Winchester, where pupils were pioneers of the scheme.

Workshops discussed issues about drugs and relationships and there were presentations from groups such as the Samaritans.

There was also a "market place" where a range of agencies offered advice and contacts for the young people. These included Young Carers, Mental Health, YMCA and the NSPCC.

The conference, which was sponsored by Vodaphone and Hampshire County Council, was opened by Sally Taylor from BBC's South Today.

Among the visitors was the mayor of Winchester, John Steel, who addressed the peer supporters in the final session.