Peer Mediation in an Inner-City Elementary School

Abstract

The effectiveness of peer mediation was examined in an inner-city elementary school. Thirty-four third-grade and fourth-grade students in a prekindergarten to fourth-grade elementary school were trained as peer mediators to help resolve schoolmates’ conflicts. They mediated 206 conflicts during the academic year, 91% of which were relationship problems involving physical (41%) and verbal (50%) aggression. Before mediation, the conflict strategies students used primarily were physical force (44%) and verbal intimidation (56%) to coerce the other person to yield. Mediation most commonly resulted in an agreement to avoid each other in the future (74%) followed by apologizing and forgiving each other (16%).