With the constant concern over violence in schools, school officials are looking for ways to head off this potential problem and to better assure a safe environment for all students. One way that has become popular is the implementation of peer mediation programs where students assist other students in learning how to deal with conflict through…

Conflict in school settings continues to be an area of concern for school administrators, teachers, and parents. Conflict between and among students in their school environment is followed by aggressive behavior that contributes to violent actions. The aggressive behavior may range from verbal attacks to physical attacks that may end up with the…

Objective: This systematic review examined the effectiveness of school social work practices using meta-analytic techniques. Method: Hierarchical linear modeling software was used to calculate overall effect size estimates as well as test for between-study variability. Results: A total of 21 studies were included in the final analysis.…

The effectiveness of an existing peer mediation program in a diverse, suburban elementary school was examined. Peer mediation was available to all students (N = 825). Three-year longitudinal data showed significant reductions in the school's out-of-school suspensions after implementation of the peer mediation program. Mediation training also…

Growing out of Northern Ireland's 1980s Peace Education Project (aimed at breaking down Protestant/Catholic barriers), the Education for Mutual Understanding initiative focuses first on helping schoolchildren deal with everyday conflicts in their lives. EMU uses conflict resolution and peer mediation to help schools organize into learning…

Mediation is an essential component of custody evaluation and reconciliation services in domestic courts. Data from 306 couples with and without a reported history of domestic violence (DV) who were ordered to attend an assessment for mediation were analyzed to determine differences in the mediation process. More than one third reported a history…

Conflict-management programs help students of all ages find peaceable ways to handle disputes. Students most likely to become effective mediators are confident individuals who write clearly, care about others, listen well, and ask appropriate questions. Principles of conflict should be taught along with strategies for settling disputes. A sidebar…

In peer mediation, students can resolve conflicts and orchestrate their own solutions. According to the National Association for Mediation in Education, school-based mediation teaches students how to deal with anger constructively, communicate feelings without using violence and abusive language, think creatively about alternative solutions, and…

A study examining student incident-referral data trends at four Palm Beach County high schools shows that the school participating in Peace Education Foundation's Win Win! Program experienced downward referral rates, compared to control schools. Discussing conflict resolution within the school culture fostered better anger management or diplomatic…

The need for solutions to youth violence has engendered inappropriate uses of conflict-resolution and peer-mediation programs. A research review indicates that reducing aggression and violence requires schoolwide change in conflict attitudes and behavior and concurrent, intensive programs targeting specific problems of particularly aggressive…

This article describes a conflict resolution and peer mediation program implemented in three middle schools. The program used a school-wide conflict resolution curriculum and enlisted a core group of trained peer mediators in each school. A resolution acceptable to disputing parties was reached more than 95 percent of the time. (Contains 11…

To disrupt the escalating "arms race" between violent students and their schools, at least 5,000 U.S. elementary and secondary schools now use 1 of several conflict resolution models, including peer mediation, comprehensive whole-school programs, and curricular approaches (violence prevention and law-related education) designed for at-risk…

Peer mediation programs' flexibility is their major strength and a potential weakness. The article examines positive and negative aspects of peer mediation programs; discusses implementation, evaluation, and funding mechanisms; and explores ethical concerns, highlighting accessibility, acceptance, accountability, supervision, training, and…

This practicum was designed to explore the impact that exposure to conflict management had on emotionally and behaviorally disordered high school students. High school students who participated in this study were from the west coast of central Florida. The practicum objectives were for students to show a 25% increase in the use of conflict…

Discusses conflict as a normal part of young children's social development. Examines the teacher's role in children's conflict, classroom conflict outcomes, and the use of peer mediation programs and peace education in elementary and secondary schools. Describes the impact of the Fussbuster Program on Head Start children with high levels of…