Rapljenovic, Danijela

Peer Mediation: A Student-Centered Program That Offers Students the Foundation for Resolving Conflict Constructively

Keywords: conflict, mediation, win/win solution

Abstract

With recent amendments to education legislation in Ontario, preventative discipline is now utilized to control violent and disruptive student behaviour. As a result, administrators and teachers have considered alternative forms of discipline, while still ensuring that their schools are safe from potentially violent students. Peer mediation is a mechanism that can support educators in fulfilling their obligations to Bill 212. Peer mediation programs have been successfully implemented at the elementary, middle school and high school levels across North America. Consequently, this qualitative research study attempts to answer how the implementation and practice of school-based peer mediation programs educates all students on the appropriate approaches to conflict and reduces violence in schools.
The research data collected reflects existing practices at two different public schools in the Greater Toronto Area; one elementary school and one middle school. Data was gathered through interviews with two participants who were selected based on their involvement in the conflict resolution and social skills programs at their individual schools. Furthermore, both participants support and promote safety initiatives, and the use of effective conflict resolution strategies both inside and outside of the traditional classroom setting.
Preliminary analysis suggests that school-based peer mediation increases communication and leadership among students, thereby creating safe learning environments where cooperation fosters peer relationships. Furthermore, conflict-resolution training assists students in learning to communicate, resolve and intervene in conflicts before they become violent. Therefore, school-based peer mediation programs have shown themselves to be effective in reducing student conflicts. Now, supporters are working to make them more successful and easier to implement so that the idea and practice of mediation is institutionalized through a total-student body approach.