Peer Mediation

SCORE

Student Conflict Resolution Experts

Mediation is a process in which two or more students involved in a conflict sit down with two trained peer mediators (with the support of the Program Coordinator) and try to work out their problems for themselves. Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process that has been successful in 94% of the cases in which it is used.

SCORE, a peer mediation program sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (OAG), has been in existence since 1989. Currently, 28 schools receive grants that are matched by the schools, to coordinate SCORE peer mediation programs in their high schools or middle schools. SCORE is a collaborative partnership among the OAG, the school and a community mediation program. The North Central Charter Essential School and Mediation Services of North Central Massachusetts work together to implement the peer mediation program.

The SCORE Peer Mediation Program in North Central Charter Essential School is now up and running. Thirty one students (grades 7-12) have been trained in the mediation process. Ms. Carolyn Depasquale, the Program Coordinator, has set up a referral system, posting referral forms around the school. The teachers, administration, staff, and students themselves may refer a conflict to mediation.

At any time you may direct a question or comment to:
Carolyn Depasquale
SCORE Program Coordinator

Ms. Depasquale can be reached via voice mail 414 or in room 212.
She is resident at the school on Monday- Thursday.

The Steps in the Mediation Process are as follows:

• A student conflict is referred to the Program Coordinator
• The Program Coordinator speaks with all involved parties individually to ensure:
  • First – the conflict is appropriate for mediation (and not disciplinary action)
  • Second – the parties agree to participate in mediation (mediation is voluntary)
• Peer mediators are selected and scheduled (based on the conflict, grade, situation availability)
• A mediation is scheduled – and takes place in the mediation office
• An agreement (if reached) is written and all parties are asked to sign it
• The agreement is kept confidential and filed with Program Coordinator
• The Program Coordinator follows up with each party to determine how the agreement is working out
  • If necessary, follow-up mediations may be scheduled

Frequently Asked Questions About Peer Mediation

Q: What types of conflicts are most effectively handled through peer mediation?

A: The most common situations are those involving: rumors, name-calling, groups or cliques, relationship issues, broken promises, arguing, property issues, teasing,

Q: Will I know when my child participates in a mediation or has requested to participate in mediation?

A: No. Mediation is a confidential process between the parties involved and in order to encourage students to come to the table they must feel that they will be able to discuss their issues with one another without any outside influences. An adult mediator is in or adjacent to the room at all times during all student mediations. There is also a pre-screening process that takes place prior to student mediation and the program coordinator assesses if the situation is appropriate for mediation.

Q: If mediation is a confidential process, what happens if the mediators learn of a dangerous situation during a mediation session?

A: Mediations are confidential unless we learn of a situation where a student posses a threat to him/herself or another student. In the case of abuse, neglect or drugs, we are held responsible to bring the situation to the attention of an appropriate adult resource.

Q: What if a child has violated a school rule and referral is made for mediation when a discipline referral should have actually occurred?

A: The program coordinator pre-screens all requests for mediation. She is familiar with our code of conduct and works closely with school administration. She would refer the student(s) back for disciplinary action as appropriate and then see if the parties involved were willing to enter into mediation after consequences are in place to come to a long term resolution of the conflict.

Q: If all mediations are scheduled during school hours, how do you make sure that student academic performance is not impacted negatively by time out of class?

A: For the student mediators: The program coordinator works closely with classroom teachers to minimize any impact to learning. Since there are a number of peer mediators available to the program, students can be rotated frequently and therefore are not involved in mediations frequently. Also, most mediations are only 45 minutes long and do not require extensive follow-up by the student mediators.

For the parties: The time spent between the pre-screening and the mediation itself is relatively brief. As parents it is important to remember that lingering conflicts in the classroom and on-going bullying, teasing and harassment have a more significant impact on learning and can lead to poor student performance and a negative school culture. The time spent intervening and mediating these differences can lead to students feeling they have a voice and builds their personal conflict resolution skills for future conflicts.

Q: What if my child comes home and starts talking about a mediation and indicates that the conflict is not resolved or begins to share details of the mediation.

A: If parents have any questions about the mediation they should call Ms. Depasquale directly at the North Central Charter Essential School, voice mail 414. Since mediation is confidential, the details of the mediation may not be discussed but the program coordinator can follow up with the students if there are any lingering concerns and bring the parties back to the table for further interventions.