School Mediation
Who
Youth Counseling Station of Cyclades
Why
School violence in recent years is also taking on a largedimension in Greek schools. One of its most effectivepractices is "School Mediation". This is a process in whichpupils and students, after being trained by teachers, teacherswho have been involved in and trained on this subject,mediate student conflicts.The need to set up a Network of Schools for SchoolMediation is great because only the personal involvementof children can reduce the intensity and duration of schoolviolence and intimidation.
What
The Youth Counseling Station of Cyclades, in collaboration with the Youth Counseling Stations of Dodecanese, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Western Macedonia, and Thessaly, after 6 year of Ant bulling programs, we create this year the Pan-Hellenic Network of Schools for School Mediation, with the participation of Primary and Secondary Schools from 13 islands in the South Aegean, as well as corresponding schools from Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Western Macedonia, and Thessaly.The islands of the South Aegean who participating in the NETWORK are: Andros, Astypalea, Anafi, Kos, Paros, Naxos, Rhodes, Leros, Tinos, Karpathos, Syros, Symi, Folegandros.The training of educators who will train the student mediators is done through the Youth Counseling Station of Cyclades.
Peer mediation
What is it?In mediation, an unbiased third party assists others in the resolution of conflicts with a 'win-win', rather than a 'win-lose' outcome.
Peer mediation aims to train young people as mediators to facilitate solutions to disputes among their peers.
How does it work? Peer mediators are trained in problem-solving, conflict resolution, communication and active listening skills to3intervene in interpersonal conflicts to prevent more serious problems developing.Through training, peer mediators learn that conflict can be resolved constructively, and can assist to encourage peers to move from blaming each other to devising solutions acceptable to all young people involved.
Common ways peer mediation is used.This approach is used increasingly in school settings focusing on bullying and violence prevention and constructive conflict resolution. Programs may occur in an informal setting (such as the playground), or may occur in the classroom or within a neutral mediation space.Peer mediation may be implemented as a stand-alone program, however the majority of programs utilise peer mediation as one part of a broader violence prevention and conflict resolution program.
How
NETWORK ACTIONS
The training of educators for 15 weeks who train the student mediators is done, through the Youth Counseling Station of Cyclades. For the needs of the training, we use e-course through MOODLE platform.Through the platform there is also the possibility of teleconferencing with all the schools, or alternatively by group of schools with the program coordinators (Big Blue Button)
- training seminars in school mediation for 10 weeks, with interactive and experiential exercises to prevent violence in schools as well as to train student mediators from the educators.
- cooperation with educational institutions, artistic groups,local organizations, cultural associations
- distribution of printed material related to school violence and bodies that can be addressed by students, pupils
- publishing an electronic newspaper, creating a web site with educational material and presenting good practices.
- an online question-writing, case-recording and exchange of views form school
- educational interventions in schools that have bullying incidents.
- Using a Practical Guide to Identifying Violence at School and Addressing it with Targeted Interventions.School mediation has spectacular results in reducing school violence, its intensity, its frequency and its duration, as it provides place AND TIME to children to speak and, above4all, to hear.
Effect/Assessment
The mediation program started in Greece a few years ago by the National Advocate of the Child. The Youth Advisory Center of the Cyclades has piloted the program at the 3Gymnasiums of Syros in 2016 and, after evaluation, it has taught educational materials and has been training teachers.From this year and with the help of the technical department of the Cycladic Secondary Education Directorate, the training material was adapted to distance learning.Training, Southern Aigean29 Schools Coordinators from 13 islands are trained in the project methodology by distance learning in 15 weeks190 'Youngsters' are trained by the Coordinators and professional staff from Youth Counseling Stasion of theCyclades through regular meetings at their schools
When
Continuously, mostly during school semesters
Resources
-On line courses for teachers for peer mediation programme with MOODLE.The training is based on systemic approach.
The distance learning system based on the use of e-Learning Moodle platform. The Moodle (Modular ObjectOriented Developmental Learning Environment) is certified free educational content management software(Course Management System).Moodle is primarily used for the purpose of asynchronous Distance learning.
We use also Big Blue Button programme for synchronous distance Learning. Big Blue Button enables you to share your audio, slides, chat, video, and desktop with5students. Built-in polling makes it easy to engage students and recording your lectures means that you can make them available for later review.
- Meetings
- Contract, rules
- Activities
- experiential seminars for teachers and students( 10sessions -20 hours)
- Teleconferences between Coordinators, Teachers, differentgroups of students-mediators.