Archive

Bullying/Harassment

Volume I, November 2001
The following situation was submitted to The School Mediator last month. Some details were changed to protect the identity of the school. I am a school counselor and have coordinated a peer mediation program in my high school for four years. We have had a great run, and the administration sincerely feels that peer mediation is one of the best programs we have ever implemented.… read this issue >>
Volume I, February 2002
When Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold blasted their way into Columbine High School, and the national consciousness, they forced the issue of bullying onto American educators' overcrowded agenda. This is because Harris and Klebold — as well as a great many of the young men implicated in other school shootings — were the victims of school bullying.… read this issue >>
Volume I, March 2002
The following piece was sent to The School Mediator by an excellent peer mediation coordinator who I happen to know. He has been active in the field for close to a decade and has personally trained hundreds of students to mediate. He is currently an adjustment counselor and mediation coordinator in an urban high school in the United States. His school has large, first-generation Asian and Hispanic populations and a difficult gang problem. He has chosen to remain anonymous. These are his words: It is a frustrating reality for me that most kids we train to be mediators aren't very good at it. I am writing to clarify my feelings and hopefully to receive feedback from others wrestling with this issue. … read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume I, May 2002
"Conflicts involving boys are one thing, but fights between girls are the most challenging." If I had a dollar for every educator who has said this to me with a knowing grin, I could buy each of you a book on the suddenly popular topic of "relational aggression."… read this issue >>
Volume III, March 2004
I live near ground zero in the debate over what has come to be called "gay marriage." Last week, people from across the US and representing both "sides" of this issue squared off outside the Massachusetts State House — 4 miles from where I sit. … read this issue >>
Volume V, March 2006
The following situation is based on one that was recently submitted to The School Mediator. Some details were changed to protect the identity of the school. Last week I was approached by our principal, Michael Weber, about a conflict that involves our girl's basketball team. He wanted to know whether we could mediate this dispute.… read this issue >>
Volume V, April 2006
Maria Goode, a junior, was selected by her coach to start on the girls basketball team instead of a more popular senior named Rochelle Bostwhistle. This led to ongoing and hurtful harassment of Ms. Goode, presumably carried out by her teammates as well as other students. The school administration has not been effective in stopping the harassment. The peer mediation coordinator wondered whether and how to intervene.… read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume IX, December 2009
Educators use many programs to improve school climate. As far as I can tell, these programs are branches from the same tree. They all strive to make schools: Safe, by preventing and protecting students from harm, and repairing harm when it does occur; and Caring, by encouraging adults and young people to develop positive, supportive connections with one another.… read this issue >>
Volume IX, June 2010
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… read this issue >>
Volume X, November 2010
Fifteen year old Alice appeared calm when she arrived for her appointment with Ms. Gilbert, the high school adjustment counselor.  But moments after she began to speak, she was reduced to tears. It turned out that a number of other girls--all former friends--were mad that Alice was talking to a particular boy named Edgar. Though the tension between the girls had been evident for more than a month, during the last week it had become almost intolerable… read this issue >>
Volume XI, November 2011
"If all the statisticians in the world were laid head to toe, they wouldn't be able to reach a conclusion."  Anonymous It was great to receive so many responses to the "State of Peer Mediation 2011" Survey. Ninety-nine people responded, about 4% of The School Mediator's subscribers. Respondents represent a fairly wide geographic range: they live in 25 different US states and 8 countries.* About 4/5 of respondents are based in the US, and 29% percent of the total live and work in Massachusetts, where School Mediation Associates is based.… read this issue >>
Volume XI, Feburary 2012
Sam Diener, of the Center for Nonviolent Solutions in Worcester MA, created these insightful talking points to assist educators in speaking with students about the shooting in the Chardon, Ohio high school yesterday. Thanks to Sam for allowing me to publish them. I edited them with his permission.… read this issue >>
 

INDEX

Academic Performance Administrative Support of Peer Mediation Adult Conflicts Adultism Advisor/Advisee Aggression and Gender Aikido Alternatives to War Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copeland Association For Conflict Resolution Australia Bandura, Albert Benefits of Peer Mediation Buddhism Bullying/Harassment Community Conferencing Center Center for Nonviolent Solutions Centers for Disease Control Centre for Conflict Resolution in Schools Chardon, Ohio School Shooting Childhood, History of China Columbine High School Tragedy Community Boards Program Compassion Competition of Peer Mediators Condon, William Confidentiality Conflict Resolution Conflict Avoidance Coordinator Responsibilities and Committment Criticism of Peer Mediation Cross-talk Curriculum on Conflict Resolution Dalai Lama de Mause, Lloyd Debrief Mediators Demonstration as a Teaching Strategy Dialogue Diener, Sam Discipline Diversity Doing vs. Observing Drug Use Among Teens Electronic Communications Emotional Intelligence Empathy Empowerment European Centre for Conflict Prevention Face to Face Seating Feelings/Emotions First Names, Teachers' Use of Fisher, Roger Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner Funding for Peer Mediation Programs Future of Peer Mediation Gardner, Howard Gay Marriage Gender Differences Getting to Yes Girls Gladwell, Malcolm Global Reach of Peer Mediation Goleman, Daniel Ground Rules Guns Handling Difficult Topics Harris, Dr. Robert Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative High-Performing Peer Mediation Program History of Peer Mediation Homophobia in School International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Impact of Peer Mediation Increase Understanding Influence of Mediator Instant Messaging Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation Intake Interviews Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Harmony Interpersonal Intelligence iPods Jennings, Peter Kenya Leadership Learning Pyramid LeBaron, Michelle Lederach, John Paul Listening Little League Baseball Longevity Marketing Massachusetts Attorney General's Office "Mature" Peer Mediation Program McDuffee, Morgan Media Mediators As Parties Misbehavior of Peer Mediators Miscommunication Martin Luther King Jr. Day Models of Peer Mediation Multiple Intelligence Theory Music N.A.M.E. Negotiation Non-attachment Non-Violent Conflict Resolution Olweus, Dan Outreach Parenting Peacebuilders International Peer Mediators As Role Models Perspective Persuasion Pestering Program Phelps, Michael Pikas Method Positive Peer Pressure Principles of Effectiveness Private Sessions Psychohistory Punishment of Peer Mediators Questions Race to Nowhere Ramirez, Manny Reagan, Ronald Recovery Time Re-entry Mediation Referrals Relational Aggression Relationships, Power of Religion Research on Peer Mediation Restorative Practices Role-plays Room Set-up Rumi "Sacred Cows" Safe and Drug Free Schools Funding Sanders, Frank School Climate School Connectedness School Shootings SCRAM (Schools Conflict Resolution and Mediation) Selection of Peer Mediators Self-esteem and Peer Mediation Self-referrals Selman, Robert September 11th Should Coordinators be in Mediation? Shy Peer Mediators Side by Side Seating Arrangement Silence During Mediation Skills of Peer Mediators Slovenia Social Learning Theory Somalia Spirituality Standards Steps in Peer Mediation Sterling, Sy, "Hair Club President" Stress Among Youth Suicide Swimming Talking to Kids about Tragedy Teacher Support of Peer Mediation Terrorism, Responses to Texting The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition The Tipping Point Tibet Time Tissue Paper Flowers Training Train the Trainer Programs Transformative Mediation Trust Underperforming Peer Mediation Program Understanding Does Not Equal Agreement Ury, William Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) Video Games Violence War in Iraq Wenger, Etienne Wingspread Declaration of School Connectedness