A one-day workshop for teachers

Imagine a place

• Where diversity and individuality are celebrated.
• Where people listen in order to understand others’ viewpoints and perceive conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow.
• Where adults and children co-operate instead of acting aggressively or coercively.
• That supports the rights of everyone and encourages a sense of responsibility.
• Where peace is viewed as an active process, made moment by moment, day by day.

The Peer Mediation program presents a plan for achieving a more supportive school community. The conflict resolution strategies of mediation, negotiation, and group problem solving are central to the success of the program. Through them, students learn to recognise, manage and resolve conflict in peaceful, non-coercive ways.

The Peer Mediation workshop provides training in mediation skills and helps teachers to find effective ways of implementing the program in their school.

What is Peer Mediation?

Peer Mediation is a process by which student conflicts (e.g. name calling, property disputes) are handled by the disputants themselves, with the assistance of other students who have been trained as mediators.
Why Use Student Mediators?

• Student mediators and disputants learn interpersonal skills and negotiation strategies.
• Mediation helps the school develop a more friendly and co-operative environment for the whole community.

What is the role of the Peer Mediator?

• To help the disputants communicate and manage their own problems.
• To keep information confidential (except in the case where harm to a student may be likely). This means not discussing the disputants’ problems with other students in the school.
• To listen to and respect all points of view.
• To better understand and manage conflict.

What kind of disputes can be mediated?

• Gossip/Rumours
• Arguments
• Dirty Looks
• Name calling
• Boyfriend/girlfriend relationships
• Property disputes
• Teasing
• Low level threats.

More Information:

• Workshop Dates and Registration