Peer Mediation Theoretical Assumptions

Adolescence is one of the most intricate and complex transitions for an individual during their life span. During this time relationships with peers and family members develop into new roles. Middle school students often have to deal with peer pressure, new social and gender rules, increases pressure on academics, self identity, and more independence. Group counseling with this age group can help improve academic success, self-esteem, awareness, and social skills.

This specific middle school peer mediation  program is based of a children helping children model and there is an abundance of literature supporting this model. Advantages of this type of program include that peer mediators have greater credibility regarding social interactions. Peers serve as role models, demonstrate positive behaviors, and promote solutions. This type of program promotes student involvement and student management.

In the creation of this program, the peer mediators will work through a group counseling process similar to that of a psycho-educational group. Throughout the peer mediation process, mediators will continue to meet in a group setting to process various situations and to practice mediation skills on the smaller systemic level. Group counseling in schools can be a very powerful and important experience for children. Groups allow adolescents to develop social skills and practice behaviors with peers. These increases in social skills and effective coping skills increase academic success in the classroom.

This program also has roots systemically, because of all of the various systems involved in the process. The process incorporates the use of staff, administrators, parents and students and the program works best when all of those various levels work together for a common cause.

Grant, H. (2001). Group counseling in schools: Effective or not?. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 21. 12.

Lane, P. S. (1992). A peer mediaton model: Conflict resolution for elementary and middle school children. Elementary School Guidance & Counseling. 27, 1-2.