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In This Issue

Peer Mediation and Bullying Prevention: Untangling a Complicated Relationship

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book - the school mediator's field guide

The School Mediator's Field Guide: Prejudice, Sexual Harassment, Large Groups and Other Daily Challenges

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book - the school mediator's field guide

Students Resolving Conflict: Peer Mediation in Schools

A complete guide to implementing, operating, and maintaining peer mediation programs.

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About Us
For almost twenty-five years, School Mediation Associates has been devoted to the application and promotion of mediation in schools. SMA's mission is to transform schools into safer, more caring, and more effective institutions. Our books and training programs have been utilized by tens of thousands of people around the world.

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Welcome to the June issue of The School Mediator.

This month we are doing things a bit differently.  Instead of our usual article, we are conducting a webinar entitled "Peer Mediation and Bullying Prevention: Untangling a Complicated Relationship."  It will be held on June 30th, and then repeated on September 15th. 

We'd be delighted to have you join us.  See below for more information, including how to register.

Have a wonderful Summer!

Wishing you the best, wherever you are,


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Richard Cohen
Founder and Director
School Mediation Associates
 
Peer Mediation and Bullying Prevention:  Untangling a Complicated Relationship
A Webinar
 
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Are you confused about how peer mediation and bullying prevention efforts can work together?

Do you have difficulty deciding where to refer student conflicts?

Do you want to help students who bully repair the harm that they cause?
 
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you'll be interested in attending the webinar...
 
Peer Mediation and Bullying Prevention:  Untangling a Complicated Relationship
 

Interpersonal conflict is a normal part of life in every school.  To teach young people conflict resolution skills and empower them to resolve these disputes, educators around the world operate peer mediation programs.  Decades of research has demonstrated the efficacy of peer mediation programs and the benefits they provide to students and to their schools.
 
At the same time, there is renewed and welcome interest in preventing bullying from occurring in schools, and effectively intervening when it does.  Increasing numbers of schools are implementing, or considering implementing, comprehensive bullying prevention efforts.  Bullying constitutes a class of interpersonal conflicts, however, which are typically not well served by peer mediation programs. 
 
Educators currently struggle to integrate these two important, related, yet significantly different efforts.  While the literature for both efforts provide many guidelines, real world conflicts can be messy and not fit the neat distinctions outlined in books.
 
A great many interpersonal conflicts, for example, involve some degree of harassment of one student by another.  Might students involved in such conflicts be better served by a bullying prevention approach than by peer mediation?  And is there ever a place to bring students who bully and students whom they target together?  If so, should mediation or some other process be utilized?
 
Join Richard Cohen, founder and director of School Mediation Associates, and Amy Flemming, school psychologist at the Nock Middle School in Newburyport, Massachusetts, for an exploration of these and other important questions.  Amy coordinates both the peer mediation program and the bullying prevention effort at her school, and Richard has helped hundreds of schools implement these programs. 
 
Managing both a peer mediation program and a bullying prevention effort requires a nuanced understanding of conflict, careful oversight, and a high degree of coordination among educators in a building.
 
Peer Mediation and Bullying Prevention:  Untangling a Complicated Relationship will provide useful tools, sharpen your thinking, and increase your effectiveness in managing conflict and preventing bullying in your school.
 
The webinar will be held live twice:  Once on
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 from 2:30 to 3:30 Eastern Standard Time.  And again on September 15th, 2010 from 2:30 to 3:30 Eastern Standard Time.  The programs are identical.
 
Registration is $39.00 early registration, and $49 after that.  The registration fee enables you to participate in the program live.  It also provides ongoing access to a recording (both audio and visual) of the webinar.

Payment can be made by using Paypal or a credit card.
 
Space is limited, so register early.
 
Follow these links to register:
June 30th Webinar
September 15th Webinar
 
Log in information and password will be sent in advance of the program.


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Copyright © 2010 School Mediation Associates. You may reproduce this article by including this copyright and, if reproducing it electronically, including a link to www.schoolmediation.com.