Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Education

First Advisor

Pamela Nickels

Second Advisor

Marilyn Patterson

Third Advisor

Gail Worrell

Abstract

Students encounter conflict situations daily in school settings. Some are able to ignore or walk away from the conflicts. Others are not equipped with the skills necessary to deal with conflicts. The search for proactive and creative responses to youth violence has propelled many educators to seek programs that will teach kids how to develop non-violent solutions to conflict

The purpose of this research study is to determine the changes in students' attitudes, skills and behaviors for managing conflict in the school setting as a result of the initiation of a peer mediation program. Participants for this study involved students in the Ronald E. McNair Sixth Grade Center University City School District. The participants volunteered to complete a pre-test and post-test, the Peer Mediation Student Survey, that measured their perceptions of conflict and responses to conflicts in the school, beliefs about peer, administrator and parental positions on violence in response to conflict, and student perceptions of the mediation program in the school. The results indicated that there are no significant differences in students' self-reported behaviors in response to conflict in the school before and after peer mediation training.

The staff of Ronald E. McNair Sixth Grade Center volunteered to complete a Staff Peer Mediation Survey. The results indicated that the staff believes peer mediation is a good idea, but is unsure if it really works. Most students address their conflicts by verbal aggression.

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