Peer Mediation Program

• Empowering our young leaders (Grade 6s) to develop their communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Building active problem solvers.
• Challenge our leaders to interact with younger students and foresee problems before they turn into physical or verbal aggression.
• Reduce the amount of students who feel rejected or withdrawn.
• To build skills to more effectively to deal with conflict resolution and dealing with differences in school life.
• Happier, more confident school environment.
• Students will be taking responsibility for their actions.
• Create a bank of evidence that problems are being more actively solved and increased decision-making is happening at a student level.
• Increase in self-esteem of student leaders and the children having the dispute.
• Inter year level socialisation increases.
• Teachers will spend less time disciplining students for often-minor offences.

What is the role of the Peer Mediator?

• Model open and honest communication
• Listen actively to feelings and words
• Think critically to assist with problem solving ideas
• Create a cooperative approach to problem solving, to the benefit of all students
• Assist students in taking responsibility for their thoughts and actions
• Explore needs and concerns
• Create a safe, non-threatening environment for the exchange
• Steer the process in the right direction with astute questioning
• Identify common ground
• Facilitate negotiation
• Empower students to resolve their own problems

What skills will the Peer Mediators develop and use?

• Facilitate conflict resolving in a non-judgemental manner
• Support all parties equally
• Develop trust within the school community
• Outline clear rules of mediation
• Explain the process fully
• Gain agreement from all parties involved
• Take charge and lead the mediation
• Help the students involved hear and listen to each other effectively
• Direct students to stay on track
• Actively listen, question and summarise
• Lead the students to an understanding of both sides of the dispute
• Identify common ground
• Map core issues
• Brainstorm
• Complete documentation for school based data collection
• Encourage students to take responsibility for their own problem solving

What conflicts will the Peer Mediators be helping with?

• Gossip and rumours
• Name calling
• Dirty looks
• Arguments
• Territorial disputes
• Invasion of privacy
• Sharing
• Game disputes