PEER (SCHOOL) MEDIATION

Peer Mediation teaches children, while in school, how to mediate. The far-reaching impact of this process can be profound. For children to learn how to handle conflict in their formative years will, quite obviously, have a positive effect on their lives and their relationships. They are usually not aware that there are options to shouting, anger and even violence when they are in conflict. Peer talking to peer has a powerful effect. The interesting part of this process is that they talk it out and it is all over in a few minutes! Studies have shown that schools who experienced a high number of fights, who turned to Peer Mediation as a remedy, found that fights dropped drastically between students. Children are like adults, they want to get along with their peers but they do not always have the skills to do so.

MY TRAINING IN THIS AREA

• Basic 40-hour training at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN

MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA

As Executive Director of Nueces County Dispute Resolution Services, I established a multi-year contract with the Corpus Christi Independent School District which is still in place. First, conflict management skills were taught in all classes. Then students were elected in each class to be Mediators. We then taught the elected children in each school how to mediate their peer's conflicts. This was a 9 to 12 hour process. Next, we held a 36-hour Training of Trainers where we taught the teachers how to teach the children these skills. Our intent with the teachers was to teach them this program so it could be firmly established in their school. They, then, would no longer need us, thus allowing them autonomy.

Parent/Teen Mediation marries well with Peer (School) Mediation