Mediation will not cure the psychological scars that come with the divorce process, but it will minimize the damage and will allow the parties to reach resolution rather than settlement. In 1988, the New Hampshire Mediation program studied a group of divorced couples, half of whom had received traditional divorces and half of whom had mediated agreements. The findings revealed that the mediated divorces produced more stable agreements, more generous visitation, significantly better payment records, and better relations with the former spouse. Family disputes which do not involve divorce and do not require therapy can benefit from mediation. Examples include parent-child, sibling rivalry, elder parent decisions, and estate settlements.
Schools employ mediation as an alternative to traditional disciplinary methods.
Students are trained as peer mediators to handle the conflicts and if necessary- a trained adult is brought in to assist. Environmental mediation, common in Canada, is now finding its place in the United States.