Peer Mediation in Ireland – Empowering the next generation of Irish students with the skills needed to manage interpersonal conflict

Internationally Peer Mediation, the resolution of conflict for school children by schoolchildren, has long enjoyed the support of participants, stakeholders, educational policy makers and researchers. Its positive impact on... [ view full abstract ]

Internationally Peer Mediation, the resolution of conflict for school children by schoolchildren, has long enjoyed the support of participants, stakeholders, educational policy makers and researchers. Its positive impact on both school life and student development has been established consistently and comprehensively.

Its benefits do not seem to end there. Research in jurisdictions where peer mediation is well established reports better student outcomes in later life, particularly in relation to professional achievement.

Recent Irish research into workplace conflict has identified the value of having conflict awareness and dispute resolution skills as part of a competency framework.

Interestingly, despite specific curricular provision for conflict management programs, there are very few active peer mediation programs in Ireland. As a consequence there is an ever-widening research gap between Ireland and the leading countries in this field such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada and the United States.

This research seeks to begin the process of addressing this gap. It intends to analytically review what is currently known on peer mediation. It intends to combine a qualitative assessment of peer mediation in an Irish context with field research. Finally, it will seek to provide recommendations for the Department of Education, the Mediators Institute of Ireland and describe potential pathways for further research.