The Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers Program trains every student in a school in the competencies they need to (a) resolve conflicts constructively and (b) make their schools safe places in which to learn. The program is directly based on the theory and research on constructive conflict resolution. More than 16 studies in 2 different countries…

Peace education is a key for establishing and maintaining a consensual peace. Creating an effective peace education program involves five steps. First, a public education system must be established with compulsory attendance; all children and youth should attend so that students from the previously conflicting groups interact and have the…

Although traditional discipline procedures (expulsion, time-out rooms, suspensions, and scolding) teach students to depend on authority figures to resolve conflicts, the Peacemaker Program teaches children how to mediate disputes and negotiate solutions themselves. To regulate their own behavior, students must have opportunities to make decisions…

A review of studies of conflict and conflict resolution training in schools finds evidence suggesting that untrained students often use strategies with destructive outcomes. After training, outcomes of conflict are more likely to be constructive and students are more able to resolve their own conflicts. (SLD)

Concern about violence in schools has resulted in numerous conflict resolution and peer mediation programs being implemented, though there is very little research examining their effectiveness. The exception is the Teaching Students to be Peacemakers program, which teaches students to be peacemakers in five steps: learning what is and what is not…

Peace education is a key for establishing a consensual peace and maintaining it over time. There are 5 essential elements in building a lasting peace through education. First, a public education system must be established that has compulsory attendance for all children and youth, integrated so students from previously conflicting groups interact…

Describes the principles, practices, and procedures of the Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers program, a comprehensive, schoolwide conflict resolution and peer mediation training initiative targeting grades 1 through 12. Findings of the program's efficacy and impact in diverse school settings are presented. (GR)

A peer mediation program in a suburban elementary school was studied to determine the types of conflicts, the strategies used in conflict resolution, and the types of resolutions at school and at home. Comparisons of 144 program students with 83 untrained students revealed significant impact of peer mediation. (SLD)

Examines the effectiveness of conflict resolution and peer mediation training among California high school students. Explains that two of four classes received five weeks of conflict resolution and peer mediation training integrated into the social studies curriculum. Found greater academic achievement, long term retention, and transfer of…

Increasing violence and threats of violence in American schools have prompted many school districts to take aggressive action in providing greater security and more positive learning environments. This book presents an alternative approach--that of training students in conflict resolution and peer mediation. The book offers specific, practical…

Reports on a study of the effects of a peer-mediation training program among 92 elementary school students. Finds that the training program was successful in teaching negotiation and mediation procedures and skills. Reports that the training dramatically reduced the number of conflicts referred to teachers and principal. (CFR)

This study examined the effectiveness of an urban peer mediation program. Third- and fourth-grade students were trained as conflict managers to mediate schoolmates' conflicts. They mediated 323 conflicts during the school year; most successfully. Most conflicts involved physical and verbal attacks. Mediation usually resulted in agreements to avoid…

Discusses the effectiveness of a peer mediation program in a Midwestern suburban elementary school. Responses to questionnaires given to students and teachers suggested that the students successfully learned the procedures and applied them in conflict situations throughout the year. Includes a thorough description of the program's procedures. (MJP)