How to Reduce School Violence Through Conflict Resolution
School violence in the United States has become an increasing problem over the past few decades, according to researchers at George Mason University. Because of this growing issue, school administrations and education experts have sought ways of defusing and dealing with violent incidents involving students. Among the many theories and options that have been promoted, solutions involving peaceful resolutions stemming from peer mediation have proven popular and effective.
Instructions
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Choose the right students for mediation: School administrators must choose students whom they feel have potential to be leaders, will take peer mediation seriously and will initiate it into school life. These chosen students must be trained by peer mediation experts who will teach things such as empathy for others and listening skills. The students will be trusted to carry out proper mediation techniques when conflicts arise.
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Bring in experts: Administrators must bring in experts in training school-age peer mediators, such as the students and researchers at George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. These groups are experts at teaching preteens and teenagers about peaceful conflict resolution techniques, effective communication, and how peer mediation can be the most effective way of lowering incidences of violence in schools.
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Train nominated peer leaders: Arrange for the experts to have regular training time with students who have been chosen to become peer leaders--this should be done during lunch periods and after school so as not to interfere with the academic curriculum and to weed out students who may have been interested in becoming peer leaders only in order to get out of classes. Training usually takes a few weeks (or more in some cases), with training sessions occurring for a couple of hours every day.
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Put the program in place: With your student peer leaders at the helm, along with a few preselected faculty advisers who should have undergone peer mediation training along with the students, administrators should introduce the program to the rest of the student body through some sort of assembly. There should be a question-and-answer session for the students. With the program properly introduced and explained to the students, the peer mediation program can begin taking on reported conflicts within the school for mediation
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Evaluate the program after an initiation period: Once the mediation program has been implemented at the school for six months, administrators should call back to the school the experts who trained the peer mediators to observe mediation sessions, talk to students who have been through the process and discuss the effects of the program with faculty and peer mediators themselves. At this time, if major problems continue, the experts should work on establishing solutions within the school and within the structure of the program.
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