Citation

Bell SK, Coleman JK, Anderson A, Whelan JP, Wilder C. Psychol. Sch. 2000; 37(6): 505-516.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Thirty 6th-8th-grade students were trained to serve as mediators for peers in conflict. Student mediators were taught conflict resolution and mediation techniques from the Conflict Resolution Unlimited (1995) manual. Mediation was available to students school-wide (N = 798); disputants were given the option to go to mediation or to the principal for resolutions. Mediators' responses to written tests indicated increased knowledge of mediation skills after training, which was maintained at 6-week follow-up. During the 6 weeks following training, 32 of 34 mediations resulted in satisfactory conflict resolution. School-wide suspensions decreased during the intervention year, as compared to 3 years of baseline data. In addition, mediators' own office referrals were lower than a randomly selected matched control group. Further, mediators' current referrals were lower than in the previous year, while there was no such change for the control group. Results and process variables of the implementation are discussed. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Psychology in the Schools, 2000. Copyright © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Peer Mediation
Conflict Resolution
Peer Conflict
Intervention Program
Child Behavior
Child Problem Behavior
Program Effectiveness
Junior High School Student
Late Childhood
Early Adolescence
Juvenile Behavior
Juvenile Problem Behavior
Behavior Intervention
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
School Based
Rural Youth
Rural School
Low-Income Youth
02-02