They then serve as mediators, facilitating communication between disputants. Student mediators do not act as judges or police officers. RCCP introduces student mediation only in schools that have been participating in the conflict resolution program for at least a year and have a group of teachers who regularly use the RCCP curriculum. Since the programs around the nation are relatively new, there are no quantitative studies of their impact available yet. The International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution has completed a longitudinal study, to be published in 1992.
Students report that they feel better about themselves and safer at school.
They handle conflicts quickly, sometimes taking only minutes to deal with situations. Often the best student mediators are those who had been considered troublemakers. Teachers report fewer fights and more caring student behavior. Administrators, noticing improved attendance and a dramatic decline in the number of suspensions, find that they spend less time on disciplinary matters. Conflict resolution programs are best used as part of a long-range comprehensive plan to improve the learning climate at a school and to teach students alternatives to violence.