NCJ Number
156847
Date Published
1990
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Based upon the experiences of the New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution, this video describes a program of mediation in school and juvenile corrections settings.
Abstract
The format of the video consists of lectures by two staff members of the New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution, interspersed with illustrative charts, a mediation session that involves two residents of a juvenile detention facility, and comments by mediation staff and participants. A chart shows the goals of the mediation program. Goals are to teach conflict resolution/communication skills, to enhance family functioning, to improve the school environment, to prevent juvenile violence, to reduce community tension, and to establish new norms for social intervention. Four types of programs sponsored by the Center are mediation in schools, parent/child mediation, juvenile victim/offender mediation, and youth corrections. Most of the presentation focuses on the Center's work in a juvenile-offender diagnostic facility. It consists of 15 lessons that focus on communication, problemsolving, and anger management. Components of the program include the training of selected staff/residents as mediators, as well as the integration of mediation into disciplinary policies. Parent/child mediation is also described. It is conducted prior to release, reinforces the skills learned in the program, and clarifies expectations for daily living. One lecturer distinguishes between negotiation, conciliation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation. An actual mediation session is conducted with two juveniles who have experienced a conflict in a corrections institution. The video concludes with comments from staff and participants who have been involved in the mediation programs of the Center.