UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA

Facultad de Educacin de Albacete

Asignatura: Pedagogy
Profesor: Antonio Cebrin.
Curso acadmico 2015-2016

MEDIATION AS CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGY IN

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL MEDIATION STATES IN THE
CONFLICT

Beniamin Letowski.
Mara Dolores Ortega Coy.
Paola Garca Alcolea.
Mara Lizn Moreno.
Andrea Martnez Daz.
INTRODUCTION

Conflict mediation has been used since ancient times and nowadays are used in all
cultures. This non-violent method is being used in schools and other aspects of the society.
This document is about conflict mediation in schools, models in what it is based on, it
characteristics and the different ways to act. Also there is a description about this process
in a centre called IES RAMIRO II.
Mediation in educative context started in the 60s in USA since the performance of religious
groups and movements for Peace Education, that stated the necessity of the students to
learn abilities of how to solve conflicts in a non-violent way.
Conflict mediation is a tidy procedure that starts from the loss of two people of the
negotiating capacity. They are locked in their positions so they need the help of a third
person that helps them. He/she is not implied in the solution, so a space of communication
and learning is created. This characteristic of learning and persons transformation is the
key to introduce it to the educative context.
MODELS OF MEDIATION.
There are three big models of mediation:
1.Traditional-lineal model of Harvard. The deal: Its bases are law and economy, taking
as objective achieve deals where the two parts win. It is a very systemised process and it is
developed in the business world.
2. Narrative-circular mode. Information-communication.: this model comes from
psychology and tries to improve the communication and the information between the parts
to produce reflexion processes that modify the reality and conflict perception, fixing the
relationships.
3.The transformation model. Relationships-People: comes from sociology and its aim
is to transform the conflict, the relationships and the people from the cooperation and
reconciliation.
SCOLAR MEDIATION.
The use of the school mediation as A conflict resolution system is logical given the new
reality, changing and plural, consequence of the schools.
The school mediation in an educational centre with a view to improving coexistence,
manifests itself in a series of consequences and objective facts:
Facilitates a more relaxed atmosphere at the school.
Promotes concern for others.

Search strategies to solve the problems of non-violently.

Improvement of social skills.
Promotes the communication between the members of the educational community.
Conflicts have to decrease.
Is looking for other alternatives to regulatory sanctions.
Helps that there is a greater involvement in the educational community at school.
Favors that a have greater responsibility in students (are involved in the operation

of the Centre).
Decreases the number of disciplinary cases.
The school mediation is not only a strategy of conflict resolution, but involves a series of
values and procedures educated in the culture of peace and strengthen forms of action and
deeply participatory and democratic management of conflicts.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL MEDIATION.

It is a peaceful strategy.
It is voluntary, people come to her because they have thus decided it.
It is a systematic process, there are a number of stages that need to be

developed.
It favors communication and collaboration between people.
Through it the mediators as facilitating the meeting.
It is an educational process and transformer of the people.
It is a training strategy of the entire school community (teachers, students,

parents and non-teaching staff).

They are the people in conflict who bring solutions, learning to manage their

conflicts.
The confidentiality of the process.

TYPES OF SCHOOL MEDIATION

Incorporation a system of mediation in a school must adapt to the contextual
possibilities of each school reality. The system described in this article is not the only, nor
the best, is one of the forms of incorporation of this strategy of peaceful resolution. Let's
look at other possible forms of mediation in schools in the following graphic.
Spontaneous mediation
A person sees a conflict and immediately offers to mediate between people who
have had it.

Institutionalized mediation
People who have had a conflict voluntarily resort to mediation service which has
the Center. The mediadores-as is chosen, and try to find an agreement to solve the problem.
This mediation requires the existence of individuals trained in mediation.
Mediation conducted by the Peers
One of the students of the Centre has been formed to settle disputes through
mediation; When there is a problem between two students, the mediators are to try to
resolve the conflict through dialogue.
External mediation
When there is a conflict in the Center and there are no people who can solve it any
expert person, outside of the Center, is used to try to solve it.
Mediation conducted by Adults
Adults who are part of the educational community (parents, teachers and nonteaching staff) are trained in mediation and are responsible for attempting to a peaceful
solution of the conflicts that generated the school space
Comediacin
It contains aspects of institutionalized mediation. They are two people from
different groups (implemented by the system) which perform the mediation process (a
teacher and a student, a parent and a teacher, etc.).
From the perspective of work of coexistence, those forms that can involve most or
all members of the school community, as we have already mentioned are much more
effective. While it may be necessary to initiate the incorporation of mediation from any of
the forms that involve a smaller number of people, but always with the idea of getting to all
and all, since otherwise the benefits that can report this strategy would be reduced, as well
as its role of locomotive school coexistence.
To incorporate into one centre any of these forms of mediation, there is a
fundamental factor for the success of the process: the specific training. It may seem
unnecessary in the case of mediation by adults or spontaneous mediation, that the first and

the parents do every day, but experience tells us that even mediator spontaneity, requires
training in skills of mediation processes in conflicts. Training is also necessary and
essential, that this strategy provides educational and elements of transformation of people,
relationships and the Centre itself, leading partners.
In this sense, if in addition this formation conducted it jointly with all sectors of the
educational community we will have taken a step giant in the improvement of school
coexistence, since from the outset we do share all and all in this coexistence management,
and in the commitment to a resolution system not violent conflicts based on dialogue and
collaboration. These two elements must be constituted as part of the principles of the
educational project of the Center.
PHASES OF SCHOOL MEDIATION
One of the models of mediation best suited to schools, from the perspective of the
work of coexistence, is the transformative. Following Lederach, phases of this mediation
process would be as follows:
The original model of Lederach, was adapted by Torrego, (2002) for his project of
mediation school in the community of Madrid in Spain. It is included in this adaptation, a
mediation phase joint between the parties and the mediators that is termed pre-mediation.
Let's look briefly at what each of these moments:
Pre-mediation: In this phase is a meeting separately with each person in conflict, in search
of an emotional shock prior to the joint mediation. It's the first shot of contact and
knowledge of the mediadores-as and every part. Explains the mechanism of mediation and
becomes a tale of conflict and its consequences.
Entry: presentations are carried out and explains the conditions and rules to carry out the
mediation.
Tell me: each of the parties to the conflict recounts what happened.
Locate the conflict: an analysis of the conflict, emphasizing the aspects in common that
have exposed parts. Clarifications may be ordered.

Looking for solutions: Is attempted a new approach to advance towards solution. Urged
people in conflict, by the mediators as, to make a brainstorming on possible solutions to
the conflict.
The agreement: You choose a solution, discussed, and is drawn up an agreement for your
signature.
It is obvious that if people in conflict are not trained in certain skills (active
listening, messages I, assertiveness, etc.), will be the mediators work to achieve that during
the process they are using them, to the extent possible. In this sense, acquires great
importance of pre-mediation, where people in conflict have a first approach to these
attitudes of communication and relationship, which constitute the basis of the mediator and
mediation as a training strategy, and phase transformation of people.
OPERATION OF THE SCHOOL IN A SCHOOL MEDIATION
The personal experience, the compilation of good practices in schools and the
consultation of multiple publications in this field, leads us to think that there still clear
models of mediation and concrete types at the school level, each school must choose that
form that can better adapt to its peculiarities and its contextual situation. Even in their own
processes of mediation, flexibility and complementarity of methodology, as we have
already pointed out, may be necessary, thus Eduard Vinyamata says it when he says that:
The various methods are not incompatible, they just rather resulting complementary. The
interest of the meter to provide effective aid, leads to reconcile methods, making the
process mediator whilst away from positions that try to demonstrate the superiority of a
methodology or another. Each case, each situation, will take us to the use of one method or
another, with the ultimate aim of help who has requested it (2003).
However we believe that school-wide transformative model-based methodologies
are much more effective in the development of projects of Centre in the area of the
improvement of school coexistence and conflict resolution; and can help significantly to
generate a culture of peace and to develop social skills, in all sectors of the educational
community, which will allow us to relate better.

Commitment to personal and group with the Centre itself, will increase from active
participation in the implementation of actions to translate, into practical action values and
attitudes, contributing to personal growth, both the commitment of different stakeholders in
the cohesion of the educational community.
In the following diagram we can see the actual operation of a system of school
mediation in a center of secondary education. In this case it is the IES La Robla Ramiro
II, in the province of Len; It offers teachings of compulsory secondary, Bachillerato and
F.P. family of administration. Currently has 350 students and 48 teachers (most with final
destination in the Center).
This Institute has, since 2003, a mediation team made up of people from all sectors
of the educational community, mostly pupils, who have been specifically trained in the
Centre, to carry out actions of mediation in conflicts. This system is not closed and will be
incorporating or deleting new elements to adapt to the dynamics of the Center, so that both
its acceptance and its effectiveness will improve over time.

THE CONFLICT
When anyone from the Center have a conflict you may request mediation service. This is
done:
1) Filling in a written request with the explanation of the facts.
2) This report comes to the mediation team coordinator
The two parts to the conflict should write their version of the case and choose two
mediators each one.
Pre-mediation
The Coordinator of the mediation team leaves the case two of the mediators of the four
who had been elected. These mediators are responsible for case studying both versions and
making a first meeting separately with each part of the conflict. (Pre-mediation)
The mediation

After the pre-mediation it is performed a joined mediation. The two parts of the conflict
and their two mediators meet and begin the mediation process. Multiple sessions may be
needed.
THE FORMATION OF SCHOOL MEDIATORS
SESSION 1: Formation of group with group dynamics
SESSION 2: education for peace, human rights, the conflict and the coexistence.
SESSION 3: social skills in school mediation.
SESSIONS 4 and 5: communication skills for mediation.
SESSION 6: school mediation.
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT OF CONFLICTS
When it happens a conflict removes the entire classroom and has unpredictable
consequences that may be more conflicts. So, it is necessary to anticipate conflicts and put
rules and respect them. The unpredictability of the conflict or the late forecast can have
serious consequences.
THE INTENTION IS NOT WHAT COUNT.
Currently, the society as a whole, questioned the training of children and young people. It
is usual, in this frame of mind, to look towards schools and jeopardize the professionals of
education. And it is the responsibility of educators is not low and is on the rise. However,
this discursive line raises two clear objections: first, it should be noted that the fact of
depositing in the formation of children the burden of a future forged in the present, does
not excuse errors and postpone solutions. Society as a whole must unlearn to transform
itself, since there can be no education without commitment and consistency. Secondly, it
must be said that there are few educators that, since the respective workplaces, cultivated,
humble and quiet, interpersonal relations founded on democratic values and equity.
GET TO WORK.
It consists of best practices aimed at the creation and maintenance of a climate of
coexistence healthy, seated in mutual respect, serve as examples for those centres that are
raised to improve their current reality. It is not mere recipes, on the contrary, they are
already experienced approaches that continue to evolve in interaction with different
contexts. Nowadays, an efficient educational model has to be opened, unfinished and

versatile, since there is no other way of transforming the complexity of the world and face
the remains that are still to come. Among the most successful programs include social
competence, emotional intelligence, philosophy for children, education for diversity,
values, peace, school mediation, peer mentoring...
THE FORCE OF THE MEDIATION.
School mediation programs foster the ability to work together to fight against the problems
and not the people. So they not only provide clear advantages in terms of prevention and
intervention against conflicts, but also innovative and transformative potential of the
educational context.
Mediation is based on equal dialogue, i.e. in the possibility to talk about conflicts face to
face in a plane of horizontality. However, the real strength of mediation in the field of
education is that, in reality, it's a genuine learning process.
DISCOVER MEDIATION IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
When they arrive at school, children start with enthusiasm, they like to feel that they learn
new things every day, and therefore boast in front of their families by those achievements.
However, one of the aspects that most dislike them are conflicts with other colleagues. At
school, mediation is an exclusive service that go in the event of a conflict, but should not
be the case. For this reason, mediation should also be incorporated naturally, as one
activity in which children learn how to deal with the problems of the more assertive
manner possible.
THE NETWORKS OF MEDIATORS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
If we want to make this mediation effective, these conditions should be:
1. Obtaining the support of the majority of people from the Centre.
2. Avoiding divisions between those who accept the mediation and those who reject them,
since the purpose is a good coexistence among all.
3. Informal and extensive use of mediation strategies.
4. Promoting mediation whenever a likely conflict occurs
5. Keeping motivated and committed to their work mediators
6. Including mediation in the documents of the Centre
7. Providing for the continuation of the mediation service
8. Training to improve the capacity of the mediators

TRUE OF FALSE QUESTIONS

1. Is possible to introduce mediation in the educative context because an atmosphere
of learning is created in it. T
2.

Co-mediation is a mediation that uses two mediators. The mediators work as a

team to assist the parties in resolving their conflict. T

3.

In pre-mediation the responsible of the case meets separately with each part of the
conflict. T

4.

Mediation is based on equal dialogue, in the possibility to talk about conflicts face
to face in a plane of horizontality. T

5.

Mediation is a waste of time F

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Characteristics of school mediation:
a) It is a peaceful strategy.
b) It is a systematic process
c) Both are correct
2. What is the correct order of mentioned phases of school mediation?
a) pre-mediation, looking for solution, location of the conflict
b) phase called Tell me, location of the conflict, looking for solution
c) entry, location of the conflict, pre-mediation
3. The first step to start the mediation is:
a) Make a request with the explanations
b) Talk with the coordinator
c) Neither

4. The most successful programs in mediation include:

a) Social competence, emotional intelligence, philosophy children.
b) Education for diversity, values, peace, school mediation.
c) Both are correct.

5. If a centre wants to make mediation effective, they have to achieve this condition:
a) Including mediation in the documents of the Centre
b) Promoting mediation whenever a likely conflict occurs
c) Both are correct