School Mediation: The Alternative Method of Peaceful Resolution of Disputes and Conflicts in the Field of Education ^†

Abstract

The institution of mediation as a method of alternative dispute resolution has recently entered the school environment. The present study was conducted to explore the views of primary and secondary school teachers on the forms of violence in schools, the factors that influence its occurrence, the consequences of the phenomenon, and the effectiveness of schools in combating violence in relation to the institution of School Mediation. The research was exclusively conducted electronically through a questionnaire, and quantitative analysis was carried out, documenting the importance of the role of School Mediation in effectively preventing and addressing violence and bullying in schools. The benefits of its implementation are manifold, including preventing and averting conflicts, improving school culture, developing empathy, enhancing personal and social skills, reducing delinquent behavior among students, and fostering a safe school climate.

1. Introduction

Students and teachers, both as perpetrators and victims, experience violence in schools [1,2], necessitating systematic planning for prevention and response. Studies have been carried out internationally focusing on the prevalence of such violence, its prevention, and countermeasures, as it is a phenomenon that significantly impacts the psychosocial and physical health of children and adolescents [3,4,5,6,7]. The various methods of conflict resolution and prevention that have been proposed reflect the school climate. However, in most cases, these methods are not restorative in the administration of justice and may perpetuate violence, as the perpetrator may not fully understand the consequences of their actions, leading to the possibility of repeating violent behavior.

The institution of mediation, following global trends in alternative dispute resolution processes, is gaining ground in Greece as well. In a first approach, mediation is described as a flexible but structured process of assisted negotiation, where the parties in disagreement choose a neutral third person, the mediator, who helps them reach a mutually acceptable and workable agreement. According to Artinopoulou [8], schools appear to be an ideal context for implementing this process, as peer mediation (school mediation) is based on principles such as confidentiality, secrecy, mutual respect, empathy, and equal distance. Its aim is to restore broken relationships, satisfy the victim, and reintegrate them into society, while also reducing the possibility of recurrence, as it is the act that is stigmatized and not the individual.

In light of this, this study was carried out to explore the views of primary and secondary education teachers in schools, both private and public, on the institution of School Mediation as a means of preventing and resolving incidents of violence in Greek schools. Considering the literature review, the following research hypotheses were formulated:

• Do teachers identify all forms of bullying?
• Do teachers identify all factors that influence bullying?
• Do teachers choose a variety of strategies to deal effectively with bullying?
• Are teachers trained in the phenomenon of bullying?
• Do teachers know what “School Mediation” is?
• Are peaceful conflict resolution methods in school useful to integrate into the school as a conflict resolution tool?
• Is School Mediation effective in preventing and dealing with incidents of violence and bullying in the school community?

This research has established the importance of the role of School Mediation in the effective prevention and treatment of violence and bullying in schools. Teachers, especially those who have experienced School Mediation practices, understand the benefits of its application, such as the prevention and deterrence of conflicts, improvement of school culture, development of empathy, development of personal and social skills, reduction in delinquent behavior of students, and creation of a safe school climate with strong relationships with students.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Elements of the Research

The conducted research is a primary quantitative survey [9,10,11], implemented using a structured digital questionnaire created with the free-access form-building tool Google Docs, specifically tailored for this purpose. The questionnaires were distributed to participants starting on 15 June 2023. The process was concluded by 9 July 2023, marking the commencement of data coding and recording in Excel worksheets to generate tables with aggregated data from the questionnaire responses. Finally, the statistical analysis of the study results was performed using the open-source software JASP (Version 0.16.4) [Computer software]. Convenience sampling was employed. Participant selection was based on their educational status and the requirement of internet access and an email account to receive the questionnaire [12].

The research project’s sample comprised 290 individuals (N = 290). Participants received and completed the questionnaire electronically, with the majority being women (229), accounting for 78.96% of the sample. Men constituted 21.03%, totaling 61 individuals, most of whom were graduates of higher education institutions, with nearly half holding postgraduate degrees. Educators from both primary and secondary education sectors participated, with a preference for the former. The questionnaire was completed by individuals of various ages and levels of experience (

Table 1. Frequency table of sample demographics (education variable).

Frequencies for Education
Education	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	3	1.034	1.034	1.034
2	166	57.241	57.241	58.276
3	1	0.345	0.345	58.621
4	1	0.345	0.345	58.966
5	107	36.897	36.897	95.862
6	12	4.138	4.138	100.000
Missing	0	0.000
Total	290	100.000

, Figure 1).

2.2. Structure of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire comprises 18 closed-ended questions, all of which are compulsory. The scales utilized are ordinal scales. Specifically, the following types were employed, as shown below:

• Dichotomous: Participants select one of two possible values.
• Single choice: Participants choose one answer from a range of suggested answers.
• Multiple choice: Participants select one or more answers from a range of suggested answers.
• Likert scales: Participants indicate their degree of agreement with a formulated affirmative statement on a scale of five values, ranging from “not at all” to “very much”.
• Five-point Likert-type scales: Participants rate factors, consequences, effectiveness related to school violence and mediation on a scale from ‘not at all’ to ‘very much’.
• Likert-type scales: Participants indicate their agreement level with a formulated affirmative statement on a scale of five values from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’.

The survey questionnaire comprises four sections, outlined as follows:

• Section A—Conflicts in the School Environment
• Section B—School Effectiveness in Dealing with and Preventing Conflicts—School Mediation
• Section C—Effectiveness of School Mediation
• Section D—Demographics

2.3. Reliability Analysis

Prior to conducting the statistical analysis of the participants’ responses, we performed a reliability analysis of the internal consistency coefficient Cronbach’s alpha. This analysis aimed to ensure the consistency of the questionnaire and thereby validate the survey results. Both the individual indicators for the variables and the overall index exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.7 [13]. This indicates a high level of internal consistency in the questionnaire data, affirming its reliability for making accurate inferences.

2.4. Testing of Statistical Hypotheses

For the testing of statistical hypotheses, the following research hypotheses were formulated, and analyses were conducted using the “X2 Independence Test” and the uncorrelated t-test (Independent t-test) in the JASP software as outlined below:

• First Research Hypothesis: X2 Independence Test: Relationship between “Knowledge of School Mediation” and “Gender”.
• Second Research Hypothesis: X2 Independence Test: Relationship between “Knowledge of School Mediation” and “Working Status”.
• Third Research Hypothesis: X2 Independence Test: Relationship between “Attending seminar or workshop” and “Knowledge of School Mediation”.
• Fourth Research Hypothesis: Independent t-test: Comparison of “Gender” regarding the “Application of School Mediation”.

3. Results

Based on the responses of the sample in the present survey, the views of the teachers align closely with the existing literature on various issues, as outlined below:

1.

Ιntra-school Trends:

Ιntra-school violence has been observed to exhibit an increasing trend in recent years, reaching significant proportions [14].

• The majority of teachers in the sample reported encountering instances of violence within their schools frequently.
• Notably, every respondent reported encountering at least one incident of violence during their years of service.

2.

Forms of Violence:

• Verbal violence emerges as a prominent issue [15], with teachers reporting moderate to frequent occurrences.
• Psychological/emotional violence and social exclusion are also prevalent, with a high frequency of reported incidents.
• Incidents of physical violence, cyberbullying, and sexual violence or harassment [16] are observed to occur with lesser frequency.

3.

Factors Influencing School Violence:

• The family environment is identified as the primary factor influencing the occurrence of school violence, according to participating teachers.
• Following closely, the influence of the media is also perceived to play a significant role.
• Respondents attribute a high degree of influence on school violence to the socio-cultural environment.
• Conversely, both the school climate and educational environment, as well as the educational system, are perceived to have the lowest degree of influence on school violence.

Overall, the responses highlight the multifaceted nature of school violence and underscore the importance of addressing various contributing factors to effectively mitigate its occurrence within educational settings [17].

4.

Consequences of violence: for the majority of teachers, the consequences of violence and bullying are deemed ‘very’ influential on the psychosocial development and progress of children [3].

5.

Regarding interventions for bullying incidents at school, it is evident that discussions with both the perpetrator and the victim are frequently chosen, followed by cooperation with the parents of both parties and referral to the headmaster. However, options such as ‘cooperation with a school counselor’, ‘school mediation’, and ‘cooperation with specialists’ are less commonly selected as intervention methods.

6.

It is noteworthy that the percentage of participants who have attended seminars or workshops on violence and bullying during their years of service in education is equivalent to the percentage of those who are aware of ‘School Mediation’. This awareness level is notably high, with 75% of respondents indicating familiarity with the concept.

7.

The statistical hypothesis testing conducted revealed that attending a seminar or workshop on violence and bullying directly influences the knowledge or lack of knowledge of the institution of School Mediation. However, gender does not emerge as a differentiating factor for either knowledge of School Mediation, or the perceived benefits of its implementation as a method for addressing and preventing conflicts in school. Similarly, the grade level of teachers serving does not appear to be a differentiating factor [3].

8.

In terms of ‘School Effectiveness’, teachers generally express a belief that the school context can play a significant role in combating violence. Traditional methods of conflict resolution, such as punishments and deterrents for offending behavior, are met with neutrality by respondents. However, there is overwhelming agreement among teachers that integrating methods of peaceful conflict resolution into schools is beneficial. Additionally, there is a consensus that students themselves can contribute to addressing incidents of violence in school.

9.

Furthermore, it has been argued that School mediation contributes to enhancing the school climate and culture, effectively resolves conflicts among students, and fosters skills such as active listening and empathy towards peers. It is noteworthy that School mediation has been argued to play a significant role in reducing deviant behavior among students from the onset of its implementation, while also fostering a safe school climate characterized by strong relationships among students, thus highlighting its beneficial nature. The research findings align closely with the literature on the implementation of School mediation, demonstrating improvements in students’ empathy skills, positive behaviors, and overall school climate, coupled with a notable reduction in conflicts [8,18]. Finally, the respondents’ belief that the work of teachers can be enhanced through the introduction of School mediation once again highlights the need for alternative methods to prevent and address violence. From the above, it can be concluded that the purpose and objectives of this practice seem to have been achieved, according to our research surveys (

Table 2. Table of descriptive measures for the implementation of School mediation.

Descriptive Statistics
	M1	M2	M3	M4	M5	M6	M7	M8	C_mean
Valid	109	109	109	109	109	109	109	109	290
Missing	181	181	181	181	181	181	181	181	0
Mode	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	3.925
Median	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	4.000	3.700
Mean	4.193	4.248	4.257	3.908	4.193	4.009	4.083	4.156	3.609
Std. Deviation	0.726	0.722	0.712	0.752	0.726	0.726	0.722	0.669	0.655
Range	4.000	4.000	3.000	3.000	3.000	3.000	3.000	3.000	4.000
Minimum	1.000	1.000	2.000	2.000	2.000	2.000	2.000	2.000	1.000
Maximum	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000	5.000

).

Specifically, it emerges that the participants, in their overwhelming majority, state that School mediation is a useful tool both in resolving and preventing conflicts and differences in the school (M1, M2), with a percentage of valid responses reaching 88% and 90%. In the first case, we have 59 individuals responding “Very much” and 37 “extremely”, while in the second case, we have 57 individuals responding “Very much” and 41 “extremely” (

Table 3. Frequency table for M1 and M2.

Frequencies for M1
M1	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	1	0.345	0.917	0.917
2	1	0.345	0.917	1.835
3	11	3.793	10.092	11.927
4	59	20.345	54.128	66.055
5	37	12.759	33.945	100.000
Missing	181	62.414
Total	290	100.000
Frequencies for M2
M2	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	1	0.345	0.917	0.917
2	1	0.345	0.917	1.835
3	9	3.103	8.257	10.092
4	57	19.655	52.294	62.385
5	41	14.138	37.615	100.000
Missing	181	62.414
Total	290	100.000

and Figure 2).

In relation to the factor of ‘improving the school climate and culture (respect, cooperation, dialogue)’ (M3) (Figure 3), we have 56 individuals responding ‘Very’ and 42 ‘Very much’, with an overall valid response rate of (89.8%).

Regarding the factor of ‘effectively resolving differences among students’ (M4) (Figure 4), 56 individuals responded ‘Very’ and 23 ‘Very much’, resulting in an overall percentage of (72.4%). Concerning the factor of ‘cultivating skills in students, such as active listening and empathy’ (M5) (Figure 5), 54 individuals answered ‘Very’ and 39 ‘Very much’, with an overall percentage of (85.3%).

As for the factor of ‘assisting in reducing students’ disruptive behavior from the start of mediation implementation’ (M6) (Figure 6), 58 responded ‘Very’ and 27 ‘Very much’, resulting in an overall percentage of (78.2%). Regarding the factor of ‘tending to create a safe school climate with strong relationships among students’ (M7) (Figure 7), 58 responded ‘Very’ and 31 ‘Very much’, with an overall percentage of (81.6%).

Lastly, similar results are found in the final proposition that ‘the work of educators can be improved by implementing School Mediation’ (M8) (Figure 8), with 61 educators responding ‘Very’ and 33 ‘Very much’, resulting in an overall percentage of (86.1%). It is noteworthy that there are no participants responding ‘Not at all’ to any of the above propositions.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

The research effectively addresses the research questions by examining the implementation of School mediation in Greek schools as an official measure to prevent and address school violence. It underscores the need for modern approaches to restorative justice, prevention, and response to school violence, which are currently lacking in Greek schools. Among schools where School Mediation is implemented, significant findings highlight its effectiveness in addressing issues within the school community.

Teachers recognize School Mediation as a valuable tool for resolving conflicts and disputes within the school environment. It takes a proactive approach to reduce these issues while empowering students to actively participate in conflict resolution. This indicates a clear understanding among students of how School Mediation operates and the goals it aims to achieve. Furthermore, this initiative has the potential to educate students in conflict management skills, such as active listening, democratic dialog, respect for others’ opinions, and empathy. By developing these skills, students can positively contribute to society as a whole through their social and personal relationships.

The data collected in this study can serve as a foundation for further research. It is evident that violence and school bullying are pervasive issues that continue to escalate over time. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the underlying conditions that give rise to these phenomena, which may vary across different societies or even among schools. Research plays a crucial role in understanding violence and devising strategies for its prevention and management through alternative methods. Particularly, there is a need to explore the potential benefits of implementing School Mediation, such as the enhancement of students’ social and communication skills, as well as the improvement of educational practices.

One research challenge lies in gathering children’s perspectives on their experiences with the implementation of School Mediation and their expectations regarding its outcomes. Similarly, exploring parents’ viewpoints can offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of this practice and encourage their active participation in school activities. This engagement aims to bolster social control and strengthen the institution of mediation.