ABSTRACT
Contemporary mediation practices have evolved from a movement that was initially constructed to resolve labor disputes in the 1960s, and it subsequently developed into a facilitative or problem-solving approach. The mediation process has proven to be effective in the prevention and resolution of violence. Recently, it has been estimated that there are somewhere between 7,500 and 10,000 peer-to-peer mediation programs being used in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the United States (LeBoeuf & Delaney-Shabazz, 1997). Christopher Moore (1996) defined mediation as “the intervention in a negotiation or a conflict of an acceptable third party who has limited or no authoritative decision-making power but who assists the involved parties in voluntarily reaching a mutually acceptable settlement of issues in dispute. In addition to addressing substantive issues, mediation may also establish or strengthen relationships of trust and respect between parties…” (p. 15). Mediation from this perspective is focused on generating agreements acceptable to all parties.
