solving school conflicts through mediation

SOLVING SCHOOL CONFLICTS THROUGH MEDIATION

EDUCATIONAL PROJECT by

TECHNICAL COLLEGE “GHEORGHE CARTIANU”PIATRA NEAMŢ

Academic years: 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012

Project coordinator: Principal, Prof. Mariana Paleu

Trainers: Psychologist Elena Andonescu

Psychologist Mariana Sîrbu

ARGUMENT Violence is an omnipresent phenomenon in modern society. School

as an element of the social field suffers the effects of violence.

The preoccupations for a better understanding of this phenomenon and for promoting effective measures of intervention have motivated us to conduct a study on violence during the academic year 2008-2009. The results of the study revealed that violence, mostly the verbal one, is the most frequent method employed by pupils in solving conflicts among their group.

Starting from the premise that the models offered by peers have greater influence than the models of adults, we considered that, by training a group of pupils as mediators, the conflicts will be regarded and solved other than a “fight” in which there are “winners” and “losers”.

The purpose of the project:

Raising the resolution of school conflicts through mediation.

Objectives Training a group of 16 pupils into using

mediation strategies in order to solve conflicts.

Increasing the level of responsibility among pupils regarding the decision making process.

Lowering the risk of violence use in the conflicts among pupils.

Target group Trainers of the pupils of Technical College “Gheorghe Cartianu”

Piatra Neamţ

Beneficiaries Direct beneficiaries – pupils of Technical

College “Gheorghe Cartianu” Piatra Neamţ

Indirect beneficiaries – the parents of the pupils of Technical College “Gheorghe Cartianu” Piatra Neamţ

Resources: Material Space to deploy the activities – the Office of

Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance Classrooms Video-projector Flip-charts, markers, flyersHuman Pupils Head teachers Psychologists Technical assistance Project coordinator

Steps of the project :

I. Selection of pupils participating at the training II. Training of pupils in mediation techniques. III. Promoting the mediators’ activity in school. IV.Solving school conflicts by means of mediators’

intervention. V. Evaluation.

Stage I: Selection of pupils participating at trainings

Evaluation of 10th graders. Interview with head teachers. Interview with the pupils suitable for being

included in the training program. Receiving consent from the parents of the

pupils included in the training program.

Stage II: Theoretical and practical training of selected pupils Presentation of theoretical notions regarding

self-knowledge, communication, emotion management, conflict , and mediation.

Practical exercise of mediation and negociation techniques.

Stage III: Promoting the mediators’ activity in school

Promoting the mediators’ activity through informative campaigns among pupils.

Conducting demonstrative activities regarding mediation in classes.

Stage IV: Solving school conflicts by means of mediators’ intervention.

Actions of mediation accomplished by mediator pupils.

Meetings with the mediator pupils in order to analyze and evaluate their activity.

Stage V: Evaluation of the project

Analyzing the results of the project together with head teachers and parents of the pupils involved.

Analyzing the results of the project together with the pupils.

Expected results: Stage I : Naming the 16 pupils that will be included

in the training program. Stage II: Training the 16 pupils in conflict mediation

techniques. Stage III: Informing a number of pupils as large as

possible regarding the project. Stage IV: Involving mediator pupils in solving school

conflicts. StageV: Receiving a positive feed-back from the

beneficiaries. Raising the resolution of school conflicts through mediation.

Together we can succeed!