Enhancing Students' Self‐Efficacy to Prevent Child Marriage Through Digital Peer Counselling on Instagram

Background Child marriage in Indonesia affects adolescents' well‐being, education, and health. Self‐efficacy plays a crucial role in resisting social pressures, and digital platforms such as Instagram provide alternative approaches to peer counselling. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Instagram‐based peer counselling in enhancing students' self‐efficacy compared to conventional peer counselling. Methods A quasi‐experimental study using a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted with 220 high school students in Bojonegoro, Indonesia. The intervention group ( n = 110) received Instagram‐based peer counselling, while the control group ( n = 110) received conventional peer counselling. Self‐efficacy was measured using validated scales assessing three dimensions: generality, level, and strength. Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed‐Rank Test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Results The intervention group showed a significant increase in self‐efficacy scores (mean pre‐test = 91.34; post‐test = 99.12; p < 0.001), whereas the control group showed a smaller increase (mean pre‐test = 80.75, post‐test = 87.67; p < 0.001). The Mann–Whitney U test indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups at post‐test ( p < 0.001), with higher self‐efficacy observed in the intervention group. Conclusion Instagram‐based peer counselling resulted in greater improvment in students' self‐efficacy compared to conventional peer counselling, particularly across the generality, level, and strength dimensions. These findings support the integration of digital platforms into school‐based peer counselling programmes to empower adolescents and help prevent child marriage.