Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if students, who had completed a minimum of one full year of training in the Citizenship and Law-Related Conflict Resolution Program, used the skills of communication, problem solving and mediation in real-life situations, as perceived by peers, parents, teachers and the students themselves. Additionally, this study sought to determine to what degree the conflict resolution skills had an impact on real-life situations. The population consisted of trained students in six schools identified by the Citizenship and Law-Related Center as demonstration schools within Sacramento County. An expert panel identified thirty specific behaviors which directly related to the training and practice of peer mediation. Seventy-five individual interviews were conducted with peers, parents, teachers, and trained students, to determine the frequency of behaviors observed in real-life situations. All nineteen students of the study reported that the conflict resolution training had a medium to significant impact on real-life situations. Trained students indicated that they frequently to very frequently used these skills within peer and family relationships, as well as classroom experiences. The communication skills involved in active listening, self expression, developing as a public speaker, validating others and demonstrating congruent verbal and non-verbal language were among the behaviors used/observed frequently. Trained students and their peers reported using/observing problem solving skills very frequently in real-life situations with friends and family, and within groups or teams during class assignments. Group facilitation skills were observed frequently by peers, parents, teachers and the trained students during lab activities, neighborhood projects, social events, and classroom assignments requiring consensus or compromise. Trained students demonstrated an understanding of key leadership behaviors including: conflict management, empowering others to solve problems and incorporating diverse opinions in decision making. The results of this study indicated that, in the perception of peers, parents, teachers and trained students, skiffs learned in conflict resolution training do have an impact on real-life situations. Recommendations include the consideration of this program not only as training for conflict resolution, but also as leadership preparation for the new millennium.