Open University Press Peer Mediation

"This book is a must for those who, like me, believe passionately both in the power of peer mediation...and in the urgency of spreading good practice in a society like ours, which is desperately searching for ways to be inclusive and at peace with itself.” Tim Brighouse, former Commissioner for London Schools “As the challenges facing young people grow so do the array of support mechanisms to help them. During my time as a Member of Parliament and as a Minister I saw many of the ideas and initiatives which were tackling this issue. I am attracted to the idea of peer mediation mainly because it goes beyond the question of how can we protect and help children when they have a difficulty, and develops those increasingly important social and emotional skills in all children”Estelle Morris, Former Secretary of State, DfES Why use peer mediation? What are the factors that influence its failure or success? Peer mediation as a form of conflict resolution is growing in popularity and usage, particularly within education. The number of schools using this method has increased, with many schools in the UK now using mediation to settle disputes both in school, and in the wider community. Based on the author’s extensive work on peer mediation, the book provides a thorough account of theory and practice relating to an approach that can enable young people to resolve their own disputes – and those of their peers. The author shows how peer mediation can be embraced by schools to strengthen student voice, behaviour management, active citizenship and inclusion, as well as how it can be neglected and fail to achieve these aims. Drawing on case studies of peer mediation in schools, the book offers an analysis of the work that has been carried out in this area. It revisits key debates in education such as citizenship, social inclusion, student voice and behaviour management in order to begin to address the questions surrounding this method of conflict resolution. Peer Mediation is key reading for primary and secondary school teachers, educational professionals, academics, policy-makers and those with an interest in practical peace making. About the Author Hilary Cremin is Director of the Social Inclusion and Education for Citizenship Academic Research Group at the School of Education, University of Leicester, UK. She is also involved in the initial training and continuing professional development of specialist citizenship teachers.