One of the amazing things about mediation is that it is so many things. This column discusses some of the many things mediation is and some of the people who act as mediators. 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. In a growing number of schools, a mediator is a student in a federally funded initiative to reduce conflict and violence in schools.
Mediation is a part of the juvenile criminal justice system.
In many communities, a mediator is an unpaid volunteer with three to six hours of training in a state funded program who helps kids get back on the right track. 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. To many, mediation is a special form of family counseling handled by licensed family counselors and therapists. 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.