NCJ Number
100325
Date Published
Unknown
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This training manual presents information, techniques, and guidelines for effective community dispute mediation services.
Abstract
The role of the volunteer mediator is described, and orientation information that should be included at the beginning of the session is presented. The mediator's purpose in meeting with disputants separately and conjointly are explained, as are the purposes of the mediator-comediator conference. Four trust-building techniques are described, including explaining the purpose of remarks, respecting others' feelings, exploring the purpose of irrelevancy, and not competing for control. Information-eliciting techniques then are described. These include thought-provoking questioning, repetition of key words, and summarization. A list is provided of verbal expressions with negative and more positive connotations. Listening and presentation skills are presented, and six guidelines for successful dispute resolution are provided. Finally, sample wordings for written agreements between disputants are provided for a variety of situations (e.g., apologies, termination, financial settlement, marital disputes). Also included is a code of conduct for mediators and statutory provisions covering community dispute resolution programs.