Peer Conflict Mediation: An Examination of Peer Conflict Mediation in High Schools

Peer conflict mediation is the process of providing high school students the responsibility and opportunity to help their fellow students by formally facilitating a peaceful and mutual resolution to their disputes. Students who perform the role of peer mediator are selected, trained and supported in their efforts to acquire the very complex skill of mediation by mentor adults in the school community. The implementation of a peer conflict mediation program is a time intensive effort, which requires a commitment and a willingness to provide organizational support. This support is not always a priority for understaffed schools and as a result mediation programs are met with mixed success. This study has investigated what peer mediation programs require for success and how educators can implement such programs in such a way as to allow the student mediators an opportunity to affect meaningful change in their schools. The question this work has sought to answer is: how to successfully implement a peer conflict mediation program? Some answers to this question were made available through a survey, which involved some sixty peer mediators in five separate high school peer mediation programs. Further answers were obtained through the interviews of three educators who have been involved in the design and development of peer mediation programs in their schools and districts