Peer Mediation Program Considerations  

Resolutions Northwest (RNW) is committed to supporting schools seeking to implement peer conflict resolution programs and offers the following considerations. 

Once a school decides to move ahead with peer mediation, a building coordinating team should be selected before any further planning occurs.  This team will be responsible for keeping the program running once training has been completed (responsibilities discussed below).  It will also decide how students should be selected to participate in the training.  Students diverse in race, age and gender, students with positive and negative leadership qualities and those with multiple language skills make for the strongest program.   Most important is that the group be as representative of the school as possible.  The process to select students is up to the team, but many schools request teacher, student, counselor and/or administrator recommendations.  There can also be a student application process. Many schools use a combination of these methods with a final selection review by the committee. 

The high school student training is two full school days (10-12 hours; $650) and can be conducted at the school or elsewhere if the school coordinating team wishes to make other arrangements.  A one day (5-6 hours; $325), condensed workshop is also available if resources do not allow for the full training, however, the workshop does not fully prepare students for the role of mediator.  Up to 30 students can be trained along with the coordinating team and any other adults (teachers, administrators, teaching assistants, and parents) who are interested and available. It can be frustrating when students are trained but not enough referrals ensue to allow them to use their new skills.  Consideration should be given to a second tier of application of these skills, such as ongoing presentations on peer mediation to student, parent or community groups, presentations/mediation with younger students and/or volunteering at a community mediation center.

The training is highly interactive and includes:

• Understanding conflict
• Conflict styles/self-awareness
• Principals of Mediation
• Active listening skills
• Steps of the mediation process
• Mediation roleplays
• Next steps:  Appropriate referrals and Marketing

It is important for the coordinating team to attend the training so that they become familiar with the language, process and principles of peer mediation.  Their participation better prepares them to do future trainings themselves and minimize reliance on an outside organization to maintain the program.

Once trained and before peer mediators receive referrals, it is recommended that a strong and sustained effort be made school wide to raise awareness of peer mediation.  The most successful way to do this is to have interested peer mediators visit classrooms to talk about what their role will be, how to access their services and what the process is. Unleashing student creativity for a marketing blitz seems to work best!  Teacher support of the program is also important.  Teachers should encourage students to seek help from the mediators rather than to rely solely on adult intervention.  Ideally, all teachers would be trained in the process, model it and the process would become the entry rung of the school's disciplinary ladder.

The coordinating team should design a workable plan for scheduling mediators when conflicts arise and referrals are made.  Ideally, peer mediators would work in pairs and be available every period during the day, but often academic schedules don’t allow for this.  Most high schools schedule mediations before and after school as well as during lunch breaks. 

Finally, regular post-training meetings with mediators and the coordinating team are critical to the success of the program.  The mediators need support and will have many questions during the first few months of the program.  Sharing information and experiences with each other will further develop skills and strengthen the program.        

Resolutions Northwest staff can be available throughout the implementation process for consultation and support and to help work out any problems you might encounter.  The program has been implemented in hundreds of elementary and secondary schools throughout the state.  However, success is dependent on the commitment level within the school.  Not every faculty member will support the program initially or be willing to model the conflict resolution process, but at least a majority of faculty members must commit to making it work.  The coordinating team must commit to some initial extra work (participating in training, scheduling, ongoing meetings) but the longer the program goes, the easier it becomes.

RNW supports your school’s interest in peer mediation.  Let us know how we can help!