One of the amazing things about mediation is that it is so many things. Mediation is school yard intervention. From kindergarten through twelfth grade, mediation is part of the education community and is supervised by school teachers and conducted by specially trained peer group mediators in the same classes as the parties in conflict.
Mediation is a part of the juvenile criminal justice system.
Mediation is a part of family counseling for people getting divorced. Mediation is a way for families who are splitting into parts to learn to deal with the changes in roles, duties and opportunities and to face those changes with emotional balance. Mediation is a part of the civil court system where parties to law suits are aided in settlement negotiations aimed at helping them find their own best interest. Mediation is a part of community action and conflict resolution, a place where volunteers, often with the Better Business Bureau or Community Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers, resolve conflicts and problems that otherwise would end up in small claims court. Mediation is a labor conflict resolution tool aimed at finding a better way.