Peer relations during middle childhood and adolescence are an important part of children's social and emotional development. Children and adolescents pick up essential social and communication skills from their peers as they move into late adolescence and early adulthood. Peer conflict is not necessarily a bad thing; disagreement and conflict are…

Discusses peer mediation, a method by which school children can resolve their own disputes. Explains that any kind of student can be a mediator and that mediation can help students develop communication skills. Offers two hypothetical cases for mediation. Suggests establishing mediation programs in schools. (SG)

Minor disagreements can quickly escalate when a child feels threatened with losing face or fears retaliation. Peer-mediation programs can help students refocus their energies while learning communication skills they can use in other situations. The benefits of an Oregon elementary school's peer-mediation program are discussed. (MLH)

Students exposed to conflict-resolution and peer-mediation programs learn skills to communicate more effectively at school, at home, and in the community. This paper discusses student conflicts, student responses to conflict, implementing conflict resolution and peer mediation, integration of conflict resolution and peer mediation into the…

Concerned with increasing numbers of student fights, a Maryland middle school initiated a peer-mediation program to help students deal effectively with conflict. Peer mediators received training emphasizing confidentiality, rephrasing, and cooperation. After one year, the number of suspensions and student arguments decreased, school climate…

A preliminary study identified areas of success and impact of a peer mediation program to be implemented in 60 middle and senior high schools in the Philadelphia Public School District during the 1993-1996 academic year periods. During the 1992-1994 period, 719 students and adults received peer mediation training. Data were collected from…

A part of the Fuss Busters peer mediation program, this teacher's guide is designed to increase students' conflict resolution skills. Fuss Busters is intended to help elementary students resolve conflicts in a creative and cooperative manner through reflective listening, defusing anger, brainstorming, and mediation. The guide is designed to help…

This elementary school training manual is based on the School Mediation Program developed originally by Good Shepherd Neighborhood House to train students in grades 6 through 12 in conflict resolution and violence prevention through peer mediation. Extending the program to the younger grades gives an earlier opportunity to use peer mediation to…

Mediation or conflict resolution training has been effective in a variety of settings. Using the components of the process (active listening, cooperation, acceptance of differences, creative problem solving, and empathetic responses) students learn to deal with anger and to work with others so as to arrive at solutions peacefully. Some of the…

Presents a case study of efforts by teachers in a large urban school district in Wisconsin to address problems of student violence by using peace-education strategies, describing district-wide initiatives, summarizing curricular reforms at the elementary and secondary levels, and explaining how urban teachers are teaching alternative…

Research confirms the fact that violence is a growing problem in American society. The frequency of reports of youth involved in violent acts reflects an inability to handle conflicts in safe, constructive ways among this age group. Although the business of schools is to educate, many students are more concerned with their own safety than…

Examines the use of mediation skills in elementary and secondary education. Discusses the rise in school violence; and describes mediation techniques, the rationale for their use, school programs to introduce mediation, peer mediators, and long-term benefits to students and the school community. Offers resources. (JB)

Details how one urban middle school took an active stand against violence by establishing programs in student leadership, conflict resolution, peer mediation, and violence prevention. Highlights benefits, student participation and training, and several innovative alternatives to suspension and traditional school discipline measures of the program,…

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 development of three different curricula for teaching conflict resolution to students in the Israeli public schools. Explains curriculum goals, presents eight examples of available teaching technologies appropriate for students in different age groups (e.g., peer mediation and second-language learning), and discusses creative…