Bullying Mediators Restorative Mediation

Bullying Mediator  This will build on your natural aptitude for helping others  Build on your listening skills  Other students will learn about the effects of bullying by sharing their experiences  Learn to manage conflict and ways to dissolve it

Restorative Approaches to bullying Behaviour  Those who have sustained harm or loss get the opportunity to express their needs and feelings  They get acknowledgement for their harm or loss  Get the opportunity to communicate with the person who caused harm or loss

Restorative Approach  There is a belief that the people best placed to resolve a problem are those directly involved  They can all express their feelings and harm done  Come together and decided how this harm or loss can be resolved

Traditional Approach  Fear of retaliation can lead to young people being afraid to report bullying  Punishment alone does nothing to restore relationships  The victim does not get a chance to tell the bullies how they feel

Limitations of traditional approach  An individual never has to face up to the impact of their behaviour on others  His/her main concern is what will happen to me if I get caught  Encourages lies and deceit to avoid being caught  There is seldom the opportunity to put things right and take responsibility for what He/she has done

Restorative conference  This can be a formal or an informal meeting of all involved  The meeting is structured and will follow a set procedure  The mediator will take the lead and ask set question and monitor responses

Restorative Approach  This gives all involved the time to express what has happened and how they have been harmed.  How they are feeling and how this has affected them  How this harm can be repaired

Conference format The conference will follow the following format. All involved with incident will come together. The conference is to focus on the incident not the person. Mediators to take charge of the conference, and allow each person to have their say and allow them to show their emotions.

Conference format cont.. Key questions are asked to each person affected or harmed Responses are noted and recalled back if needed. The person doing the harm is asked first to explain what has happened and other questions, and then the person who was harmed. Others on the harmed persons side are then asked the same questions, and then people on the person doing harm side.

Conference format cont.. Each person must be allowed to have their turn in answering the questions. The mediators must always be in control of the whole conference, but let people vent their opinions if they are relevant to the situation. Under no circumstances can any person in the conference attack another person verbally or physically.

Key questions What has happened What were you thinking How were you feeling Who has been affected What do you think needs to happen to make things right. How can everyone do things differently in the future.

Agreement Responses are noted from what they think needs to happen to make things right. Each person to agree to what has been recommended and action to be taken. If needed a written agreement is to written up and all to sign as a bond between each of the people concerned. The mediator must remain impartial and not express their own opinions.

Scenario Jake and Danny have been fighting on the school field, you are told by another student, you go over the see them to find out what has been happening. Jake has stolen Danny’s pencil case and would not give it back, so Danny decided to sort it out himself. Get Jake and Danny together to sort out this problem.