PeerM.htm

This is the 14th year of the peer mediation program at Classical. In the fall over 125 students applied to be peer mediators. Currently there are about 25 high school students who are trained to resolve and prevent conflicts within the student body. The role of the peer mediation is to act as a neutral figure while meeting with referred participants. They have resolved miscommunication and violence as well as prevented fights from occurring and therefore have worked to reduce the suspension rate. Types of issues that they cover includes rumors, physical fighting, gossip, bullying, theft and harassment.

This year, the peer mediation program received about 80 referrals from faculty and students and about 68 mediations took place. Along with program, peer mediations spent a day participating in a 300 student convention in Boston covering cyber-bullying. A few mediators also attended a breakfast held for students, doctors, lawyers, police officers and other professionals to discuss new ideas to reduce bullying within schools. They are looked upon as student leaders and role models within the school by faculty, administration and peers.

The Lynn Educator will soon publish an article about the program and how successful the students have been this year! This year we will say goodbye to 6 graduating seniors!

What is mediation?
Mediation is the process of conflict resolution where disputants are guided by a neutral third
party in discussion and resolution of a conflict. We use the co-mediation model, which uses two
mediators who work hand-in-hand to create an atmosphere of trust and respect. The mediators
help to reduce power differences and emotional volatility, allowing difficult issues to be calmly
discussed and worked out. The goal of mediation is to have disputants agree to a solution that is
not imposed on them from the outside, but rather come to through discussion and compromise.
In order for this to work, both parties must voluntarily agree to participate, as they cannot be
forced to communicate and come to an agreement. Mediation is used for issues ranging from
neighborhood disputes, financial interactions, workplace disputes, to family issues and divorce.

What is the purpose of mediation in a school setting?
The peer mediation program at Classical High is designed to help students learn how to work out
conflicts on their own, with the help of trained student mediators. Mediators at Classical have
had at least twenty hours of training, and are subject to re-trainings to keep working on their
skills. With the use of mediation, conflicts are reduced within the classroom and school, and
students avoid suspension and other consequences. Through placing the responsibility to resolve
the issue on the students themselves, the students are invested in creating a workable solution. As
a preventative tool for punitive or disciplinary action, mediation can help students to quickly
resolve a problem in its early stages. Mediation can also be used to re-establish a relationship
after a fight or conflict has erupted, allowing students to deal with the difficulties of re-entering
the school environment and moving past the issue. Also, mediation can be used for situations
beyond the scope of individual student-to-student conflicts. Any individuals or groups can be
involved in mediation, including faculty, staff and students.

How does mediation work?
In a confidential, safe, and neutral atmosphere, the students are guided to open up in direct
communication about their differences. With the help of the student mediators, students engage
in a dialogue about the conflict and the potential outcomes of the situation. The beginning stages
of mediation revolve around hearing both sides of the story. Mediators encourage both parties to
share their version of events, looking for underlying causes and shared concerns. Next, the two
parties are often split up and given private sessions with the mediators to allow them to open up
about any other issues they may be uncomfortable sharing in a joint session. Throughout this
process, mediators look for common ground between the disputants, working to find a point from
which to encourage a solution. When the disputants are brought back together, they are
encouraged to understand the other side of the issue and to begin looking for possible resolutions
themselves. After about an hour, the vast majority of disputants come to a workable resolution
that they themselves have proposed. This agreement can be a written contract or a verbal pact.
Your referrals to the mediation program are a big step in working to reduce the conflict seen at
the school, and to keeping students out of further consequences.

Below is a list of our current peer mediators. I will be recruiting and adding 8-10 new mediators this fall. Miriam