Peer Support in Action
Conflict Resolution in Norway
End of Project Evaluation of the Asker and Baerum Development Programme on School Mediation
by Kristin Diesen Paus (translated by Joan Bosåen)
Background
Konfliktrådet (translated as the Municipal Mediation Board) is primarily a crime prevention initiative for young offenders where mediation is a voluntary option for the parties involved to reach a solution outside the usual criminal justice system. Konfliktrådet also treats cases that are brought by two parties in an interpersonal dispute. The law which came into effect on 1st September 1992 gave Konfliktrådet status as a judicial response in disciplinary cases. The law required that all districts established a Konfliktrådet by 1994. Today Norway has 44 Konfliktrådet boards altogether.
The initiative on the training programme in school mediation came from KUF (Government Department: Church Education and Research) and JD (Justice and Police Department). JD took financial responsibility during the period of the project, and from autumn 1996 there were 13 conflict teams and 45 schools that took part in the training.
The goal of the programme is to:
- prevent bullying and aggression in schools;
- give professional advice and help on mediation methods in schools under the administration of the schools;
- give schools competence in alternative conflict resolution methods;
- help train pupils to mediate in conflicts with their peers.
The programme builds on conflict resolution methods developed in Norway, USA, UK and Denmark. Research shows that the programme facilitates leadership qualities, self-confidence, self-esteem in children and young people and that pupil mediators act as positive role models for their peers.
Implementation of the project
Konfliktrådet made contact with the school administration in the Asker and Baerum districts in the spring of 1995. 5 of the schools that expressed interest were selected. These were:
Arnestad 470 pupils (junior school)
Borgen 374 pupils (junior/secondary school)
Hovedgarden 350 pupils (secondary school)
Ranistad 375 pupils (secondary school)
Osteran 285 pupils (secondary school)
A common project design was negotiated with them. The goal was to give pupils and teachers an introduction to conflict resolution methods as tools to prevent bullying and aggression and in the process to select available pupils who could be trained to mediate in actual conflicts among peers. A steering group was set up in each school consisting of the head teacher, teacher representative, a member of the project team, a pupil representative, a peer mediator representative and a parent representative.
First, Konfliktrådet gave information on mediation to the teachers and pupils. They were also involved in interviewing and selecting the pupils. Co-operation between Konfliktrådet and the schools was very good. The parents too were given full information on the project. (The two most sceptical parents were involved in parts of the training; this changed their attitude to a much more positive one). Next, a five part plan was designed for delivering the training to teachers and pupils. All teachers in the schools undertook 6 hours of training in the mediation method. The ideas for the training course came from other conflict training courses and from a consultation with LEAP CONFRONTING CONFLICT in London.
Evaluation of the project
Questionnaires completed by the peer mediators have revealed some interesting results. Here is a summary of key questions.
1. Have you used any of the skills you learned as a mediator?
- at school? all the peer mediators had mediated at least once.
- in your free time? most answered positively that they had used the method outside school.
Some examples given by respondents include:
‘I have used the mediation method with my brothers and sisters.’
‘I used it in basketball and football practice.’
‘I now know more about how to tackle conflicts.’
‘I have learned that there are two sides to a conflict.’
2. Have you any suggestions for change?
a) In selection of mediators
- Pupils should be tested out in mediation situations before they become mediators.
- Experienced peer mediators should select the new peer mediators - or other pupils if there are no experienced mediators.
- There should be a higher standard of selection of mediators.
- There should be fewer mediators.
- Mediators should be chosen from the higher classes.
b) In the training:
- Longer training.
- More role plays.
c) As mediators:
- Repetition of the method.
- Refresher course after the training.
- Some said they wanted greater student influence on the system.
3. Have you any suggestions about how pupils can use the system to better effect?
- More frequent information to pupils and teachers.
- Increase awareness of the need for confidentiality.
- Increase awareness of the benefits of mediation.
- Make the system more informal.
- Increase teachers' awareness of the method.
- Improve routines around the process of bringing cases to mediation.
- Advertise in more places.
- Use class time to advertise the mediation service.
- Be more visible where/when/how the pupils can seek help.
- Mediators should become more active in offering mediation.
When the peer mediators were asked for their opinions on how to keep the service going, they said:
- Mediators should take responsibility for enhancing pro-social values in the school.
- Mediators can use role play in promotion of services from Konfliktrådet.
- The link personnel (from Konfliktrådet ) should follow up the development of the scheme.
Conclusion
Sceptics have claimed that school mediation is a negation of adult responsibility. They criticise such interventions on the grounds that pupils have too much responsibility as mediators, that perpetrators are let off too easily and that teachers will lose control of their pupils. They also express concern that young people are not capable of maintaining confidentiality, and so it cannot be guaranteed.
However, in this study, none of these points has proved to be a problem in practice and young people have shown that they are more willing to take responsibility than adults would have thought. No-one can enforce confidentiality but the peer mediators are encouraged to keep confidence and they always have the supervision and guidance of the school's link person from Konfliktrådet. Information to parents has always been seen as a central focus. They have always been involved through meetings and have always had a representative in the steering group.
A summary of the positive outcomes of this study highlights the following factors:
- Schools' willingness to be involved in the project.
- Pupils' wish to own the programme.
- Pupils' belief in themselves - they are often better at resolving conflicts than adults.
- It has been positive for Konfliktrådet to come from outside to do the training.
- It has been positive for the teachers to see how the pupils behave towards outside trainers.
- It has been positive to have two trainers working together.
The advice from Konfliktrådet to schools planning to set up such a project would be that it is important to set aside adequate resources. The teacher in charge of the service should allow a minimum of 2 hours per week. Teachers in charge should be trained in the method. Schools should be prepared to buy in Konfliktrådet services concerning the introduction to and implementation of the method. Peer mediation should be integrated into the school's development plan. Schools should maintain on-going information about the programme to teachers, pupils and parents. Much of this work can be delegated to peer mediators in the school. School teachers and pupil mediators from other schools with longer experience can be trained to instruct new peer mediators. It can also be sensible to create a network of co-operation amongst the schools involved. It is important to have parents, pupils and teachers working together right from the beginning. Finally, it is important to remember that it takes time (usually from 2-3 years) to integrate school mediators into the school's culture.
For more information on Konfliktrådet contact,
Kristin
Diesen Paus,
Konfliktrådet,
Postboks
44 - 1301 Sandvika,
Norway.
Tel: 00 47 67 50 30 00
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