NCJ Number
153900
Date Published
1993
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video dramatizes a conflict between two high school students and subsequent structured peer mediation of the dispute, followed by a panel discussion of school-based peer mediation programs by students and adult mediation trainers.
Abstract
The conflict dramatized pertains to a rumor allegedly being spread by a girl's male friend regarding her cheating on her boyfriend. When the girl confronts her friend with the spreading of the rumor, they argue with one another about whether the male friend is spreading such a rumor. Subsequently, they submit the dispute to peer mediation. The mediation session is dramatized, as the disputants express their views of the dispute, their feelings, and ways to resolve the dispute. The dispute is resolved as both express a desire to maintain the friendship and improve their communication with one another. The panel discusses what happens when mediation is not used. Based on their experience, they indicate that unresolved conflicts tend to escalate and involve an ever-increasing number of students. The mediation structure provides a rational and calm way of discussing feelings and determining facts, which can lead to a satisfactory resolution of the conflict. In the discussion of the selection of students who will serve on mediation teams, the trainers suggest that it not be limited to students who have manifested only exemplary behavior in school. Including on the mediation team students who have been involved in conflicts not only helps these students to grow personally, but also brings to the mediation team the perspective of those who have been involved in conflicts similar to those being brought for mediation.