EFFECTS AND EFFICACY OF PEER MEDIATION

Heller (1996) has noted that well-disciplined schools make appropriate school discipline a part of every curriculum, program, and practice. In particular, Heller recommends peer mediation as a means of reducing school conflict and violence.

Peer Mediation can be defined as a mode of student conflict management in which two trained peer mediators work as a team to encourage problem solving between disputants (Benson & Benson, 1993).

According to Lane and McWhirter (1992) peer mediation evolved from the realization of the need to encourage win-win situations in guiding students toward the development of an ethos of sensitivity to and awareness of how others are affected by their actions. The authors stated that when used in conjunction with traditional means of discipline, peer mediation operates to provide the forum for resolution of disputes on school grounds. Moreover, student involvement in the mediation process is said to ensure practice with critical thinking, problem solving, and self-discipline.

The purpose of this study is to examine research on the effects of peer mediation. To provide context, the review will examine studies of peer mediation at the elementary, junior high, and high school level. Findings of the reviewed research will be used to formulate conclusions regarding the general efficacy of the strategy as a means of reducing school conflict and violence at diverse levels (elementary, middle, secondary)

. . .
ceived by administrators, students and faculty. Students felt that the program was helping them to work on their conflict-management skills, teachers believed the program significantly reduced incidents of fighting and disruptive behavior, and administrators felt that students were now taking responsibility for their behavior. Engert (1996) followed the implementation and maintenance of a peer mediation program at a middle school over the course of 24 months. Data were derived from a variety of observations, interviews, questionnaires, documents (focusing on implementation issues) and the perception of the program held by the people who used it, operated it or provided essential support for it. Findings of the study were said to suggest that peer mediation is a valuable component in the field of violence prevention and that it has the potential to fulfill the needs of students and teachers. However, it was also pointed out that the degree of program success, over the course of two years, was moderated by a number of school-related factors which led to the recommendation that any such program needs continual active support and constant monitoring to improve its quality. It was also noted that the program should be tailore
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Burrell Vogl, Summary Conclusions, McDonald Moriarty, Bettmann Moore, Harris Louison, Dudley Ward, Houlihan Zwart, Lane McWhirter, Dudley Acikgoz, peer mediation, Indeed Johnson, mediation program, elementary school, school students, peer mediation programs, conflict resolution, mediation programs, peer mediation program, middle school, mediation training, school settings, elementary middle, effects peer mediation, peer mediation elementary, peer mediation training,
Approximate Word count = 2567
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

More Essays on EFFECTS AND EFFICACY OF PEER MEDIATION