School peer mediation programs teach skills that students apply to resolve conflicts.

Evidence

Reviews of that literature show that these programs are typically effective in teaching students negotiation and mediation skills and that trained students tend to use these skills to reach constructive solutions to conflict (Carruthers, Sweeney, Kmitta, & Harris, 1996; Johnson & Johnson, 1996). The studies assessing school-based dispute resolution or mediation programs that focus on intergroup mediation usually report that participants are satisfied with these programs and find them useful (Lam, 1989). One large-scale program found that students in an alternative inner-city school who completed a mediation program were able to better manage their conflicts than those who had not completed the program (Coleman & Deutsch, 1998; Deutsch, 1992). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2676