About

What is Student Led Peer mediation?

Student Led Peer Mediation Program is a pilot and evaluation project supported by a grant from the St. Louis Mental Health Board. Student Led Peer Mediation is a process where trained students act as neutral mediators. Students in conflict work with a trained student mediator to uncover the root causes of their disputes and together decide on fair ways of resolving their conflict. Student-Led Peer Mediation can have vital longitudinal benefits for students, such as learning helpful communication skills, and dispute resolution techniques that can be utilized in personal and professional engagements throughout the lifespan. Through learning mediation skills and techniques, youth learn about the importance of viewing conflict as normal and healthy if they are empowered with the skills and tools to navigate it.

History 

During the summer of 2021, Conflict Resolution Center St. Louis received a grant from the St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission to work directly with students to create a guide to outline what an ideal peer mediation program could look like in their schools. CRCSTL worked alongside high school student advisors in a focus group setting for a series of summer meetings to discuss topics related to conflict resolution and the students learned about the mediation process. Students compared research around peer mediation and conflict resolution topics, learned the steps of the mediation process, and named the program. As a result of the focus groups, CRCSTL was able to get direct student feedback and insight into the types of conflicts that students face in school each day, and how learning the mediation process can help students effectively engage with conflict. One student stated “Students are suspended every day for things that could just be talked out”. At the end of the summer sessions, CRCSTL created and designed a program guide for schools to read more about peer mediation and the student advisors’ recommendations for the program. The Student Led Peer Mediation Program Guide is available for free to download here. 

Conflict Resolution Center St. Louis is now the grateful recipient of a grant from the St. Louis Mental Health Board to directly implement the SLPM program in schools as a pilot and evaluation project. The implementation of the program will follow the insights gained from the focus groups with the student advisors. The pilot program will prioritize student leadership and voice. Peer mediators will participate in a training in order to feel supported, empowered, and prepared to act as peer mediators in their school. In the training students will learn to de-escalate conflict, hold difficult conversations with their peers, how to utilize active and reflective listening skills, how to write a mediated agreement, and how mediation is used in real world situations.