Suggests peer mediation as an alternative dispute resolution approach. Indicates the need to shift the focus from crisis intervention to prevention and to integrate dispute resolution skills into the school environment. (JOW)

This case study of peer mediation at one urban high school examines who benefits and how they benefit. Data from observations of peer mediator training, mediation sessions, interviews, and school records indicate that though peer mediation is designed to resolve conflicts in school, it is the mediators themselves who benefit most from the…

Contends that peer mediation offers a way for students to settle disagreements without violence and without involving the traditional system of school discipline. Discusses brief background about peer mediation, then presents one high school mediation program that has been implemented and evaluated. Outlines step-by-step approach to implement a…

In Winnepeg (Canada), a survey of 319 urban high school students, 51% of whom had received peer mediation training in junior high school, found no significant differences between the two groups in their attitudes and beliefs about conflict resolution or in their satisfaction with their abilities to resolve conflicts. Possible explanations relate…

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…

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 several prominent intervention approaches intended to prevent violence and inappropriate behavior in school by directly or indirectly affecting the social climate of the school. Looks at programs focusing on: parent and community involvement; character education; violence prevention and conflict resolution curricula; peer mediation; and…

Presents a case study that follows one high school's peer conflict mediation efforts to reduce violence. Over 8 years, suspensions for fighting decreased dramatically, verbal confrontations between students decreased somewhat, and the general atmosphere on campus grew more relaxed, with students relating better to one another and the school…

Describes the conflict resolution program, Resolving Conflict Creatively (RCCP), that was founded for violence-torn schools in New York City. RCCP encourages open discussion in a supportive atmosphere through curriculum support, professional training of parents and teachers, and student-led mediation. (JPS)

Project STOP, a comprehensive conflict resolution program, was piloted in 15 middle schools in 1991-92. This report provides an overview of STOP's inception and results. The project incorporated three components to help schools deal more effectively with conflict: (1) student peer mediation; (2) classroom instruction in conflict resolution; and…

Summarizes some of the common findings in the professional literature pertaining to conflict resolution (CR) curricula and peer mediation (PM) programs. Discusses theoretical, methodological and operational considerations that are relevant to conducting research and evaluation in school settings. Proposes a model to guide educators' decisions on…

Young people need help in learning alternative dispute resolution skills. A program that aims to do this, set in a context of preventing violent behavior, is presented here. It is structured into sixteen 45-minute sessions which can be presented by one teacher. The training is organized around the following seven themes: The Mediation Process,…

This report evaluates the second and third years of conflict resolution programs that were established at both the elementary and secondary levels during the 1991-92 school year. The programs emphasized peer mediation, in which students in conflict meet with a pair of students trained in mediation skills. The mediators attempt to open…

This article describes a nonviolence model program used in 26 schools. The program identifies positive and negative student leaders who then spend an entire day together working on developing relationships, responsibility, respect, and conflict resolution skills. Specific activities of the "lock-in" day and ongoing activities such as development…

Discusses student empowerment and the importance of including students in planning and implementing conflict resolution programs. The paper describes the "Winning Against Violent Environments" (WAVE) program which trains students to be peer mediators who train other students and adults to be mediators and conflict managers. (SM)