Peer Mediation as a Poblem-Solving Strategy for Conflicts among Adolescent Youths: The Role of the Mediator

Peer Mediation as a Poblem-Solving Strategy for Conflicts among Adolescent Youths: The Role of the Mediator

Peer mediation is a school-based intervention programme that aims to teach adolescents to manage their conflicts and resolve their differences in a positive and constructive way, with the help a mediator. This paper examines the role of the mediator in a peer mediation setting, looking at the type of mediator that at-risk and non at-risk youths prefer during a peer mediation session. Two vignettes (one with a prefect mediator and the other, an ex-gangster mediator), were used in the study and students were randomly assigned the vignette type. From their responses to the questions at the end of the vignette, the participants' level of identification for the mediator and their perceived outcome of the mediation session were obtained. Results indicated that at-risk youths had a significantly stronger preference for the ex-gangster mediator while non at-risk youths preferred the prefect mediator. Implications of findings for schools are discussed.