Post Primary School
What Is Mediation
When you have an argument or fall out with someone there are lots of people who can help you sort it out. It might be a teacher, mum or dad, brother, sister or friends. Sometimes people can sort out arguments by themselves but it can be good to have someone else there to help you. One way to sort out conflict is by mediation.
Mediation means working something out between people. It aims to help people find a solution to their conflict and come to an agreement.
The mediator is someone ‘in the middle’ helping other people who are having an argument to sort out the problem for themselves. When a pupil is a mediator they are called a ‘Peer Mediator’.
Mediation is a way to resolve conflict where the people who disagree have a chance to sit face-to-face and talk uninterrupted, so that each point of view is heard. The aim is to come to a win/win situation, where both sides are agreeable to the solution, so that there isn’t one winner and one loser but both are winners.
A peer mediator does not take sides, they don’t go and tell everyone else what has been said, in other words they keep what is said private. They don’t tell people what they have to agree to, that’s down to each person.
A peer mediator needs to be
- A good listener
- Patient with others
- Good at co-operating
- Able to keep things private
- Caring to others
- Sensitive to other's feelings.