By Courtney Casper
Fifteen Andover High School students are providing a sounding board - and a resolution - for fellow students unsure of how to resolve differences with one another.
The peer Mediation Program, coordinated by Kim Bergey and Peggy Cain of the Andover High School Counseling Department, is a place where students in conflict with one another can go to resolve emotional conflicts in the presence of trained peers, rather than members of administration.
"The main goal of the program is to allow the students themselves to come to some sort of peaceful resolution," said Bergey. "And we've found that students are more open with kids of their own age than administrative adults."
The program was first started in 1994, when Andover High received the Punchard Grant to fund the group. At the time, the counseling department believed there had been a lot of issues in terms of bullying and mean-spirited rumors, and when they saw success at other schools, they decided to give it a try. Last school year, Andover High received some money once again, and began training peer mediators to restart the program.
In 2008, 15 male and female sophomores were selected from an applicant pool and trained on the skill sets of mediation and conflict resolution. Jessica Park, a junior at AHS and one of selected mediators, is in her second year of the program. Park insists that although students may sometimes interrupt one another during a session, those who are trying to resolve their conflict are "never really resistant."
Reinforcing Park's point, Bergey mentioned that "as long as students are willing to try it, that's when peer mediation is most effective. Both students have to be willing to come to that resolution together."
When questioned, Bergey said the majority of conflicts that have arisen have involved males. "I think it's because, typically, boys' conflicts tend to move more towards physical violence a lot of the time," said Bergey. "Girls' conflicts are usually more behind the scenes and under the radar."
Perhaps the most common way students are initially avoiding adult involvement while instigating conflict is through the use of technology. Both Bergey and Park are quick to agree that one of the most challenging obstacles involved in student conflict is the heightened use of text messaging and the Internet.
"A lot of the stuff we've been seeing this year is stuff that first goes on Facebook, and then gets blown up to the point where everybody knows about this conflict," Bergey said. "Now [kids] can type or texts things instead of having to say it to people's faces...which makes it a lot easier for them."
To avoid stirring up more talk after a peer-mediation session, the program prides itself on confidentiality.
"We don't want kids going around and talking about it; that would reverse all the work that's been done," Bergey said. However, because the students who use it are supposed to keep all that is disclosed to themselves, the program is not very well known.
"We're hoping that by getting the word out, kids will be aware that it's an option," she said.
Both Bergey and Park believe the peer-mediation program teaches kids how to resolve their conflicts through communication and active listening.
"We face all kinds of conflict on a daily basis," said Park. "Having these skills will only move us forward and help us in the end."
Courtney Casper is an Andover High student earning high school course credit for doing an internship at the Townsman.
