Problem Statement: Why use peer mediation?
School violence and bullying have become a tragic part of our school systems. Some statistics involving these issues include:
These statistics show a need for change in school climate. Peer mediation can change school culture.
According to Skiba et al (n.d.), peer mediation programs have often shown to:
- Lansford (2008) indicates that school violence have risen from 43 incidents in 1998 to 168 incidents in 2007 and fatalities in schools have risen from 46 in 1998 to 71 in 2007
- 84 percent of middle school age students state that they have been involved in at least one bullying incident (Radek, 2005)
- School Survey on Crime and Safety of 2003-2004 reported that 45 percent of schools have security or police officers present on a regular basis (Lansford, 2008)
- Every 7 seconds an incident of bullying occurs in the United States (Radek, 2005)
These statistics show a need for change in school climate. Peer mediation can change school culture.
According to Skiba et al (n.d.), peer mediation programs have often shown to:
- Increase positive school and classroom climate and culture
- Boost student self-esteem through leadership opportunities
- Enhance conflict resolution skills in students and teachers
- Reduce incidents of conflict occurring not only within the classroom, but also outside of the classroom
- Decrease office referrals over time
- Teach students to solve disagreements more independently
- Appropriately prepares students for conflicts later in life