Building Restorative School Cultures: Insights From Peer Mediation Programs in Elementary and Middle Schools

• In Event: Critical Considerations of Discipline-Related Policies

Abstract

In response to the harmful effects of punitive discipline, many U.S. schools have implemented alternative approaches to discipline, including peer mediation. This paper evaluates the implementation and perceived impacts of a peer mediation program implemented across four schools in partnership with a non-profit organization that trained a cohort of students to mediate student-student conflicts. Through surveys, observations, and interviews, this study highlights that students and teachers perceive peer mediation training to positively influence conflict resolution knowledge and practices. The paper also provides insight into factors that contribute to programmatic success. While a limited number of students in this study led mediations, the outcomes recorded on average across all students indicate that training alone has positive effects.

Authors

• Adam Kho, University of Kentucky

• Tasminda Dhaliwal, Michigan State University

• Adrian H. Huerta, University of Southern California

• Shelby Leigh Smith, University of Southern California

• Gabriela Torres, University of Southern California

• Julie A. Marsh, University of Southern California