Mediation groups, a successful way to end violence in schools
Schools in Kosovo with mediation groups that are proving to be very successful
I heard one teacher say in class to one of my Roma friends – “nobody hires Roma people; they have no future”. I felt bad because I thought racial discrimination was happening there. That word stuck in my head for a long time – said Genci*, a student at the Lower Secondary School “Ibrahim Fehmiu” in Prizren, starts his story.
Genci, himself a member of the Roma community, addressed this issue with his teacher and members of the peer mediation group. This school consists of mixed classes with members of different communities, including Roma; therefore, such a discourse would in no way be allowed. Neither Genci* did want to accept this vocabulary. What ensued is a misunderstanding, which was then handled by the Peer Mediation Group at this school.
E.F – one of the students currently involved in this group, tells us how this case was carefully handled. “Our school has a Peer Mediation Group whereby we try to solve more serious situations. We discussed with Genci* and the teacher, as well as the other parties, together and in the end, it turned out that everything was a misunderstanding. The teacher, in fact, said the opposite. In cases when students at school address each other in offensive words, or we witness offense by a teacher to a student or vice/versa, the peer mediation group identifies this and immediately takes action to handle such issues with due care. Even though our school is a large institution, we immediately become aware of situations, sometimes even before they precipitate says E.F - eighth grade student at Lower Secondary School “Ibrahim Fehmiu”.
In this school where around 1037 students are enrolled, the peer mediation group is doing wonders.
Such peer mediation groups have already been established in 10 municipalities of Kosovo, totaling to 30 so far. They even look like special corners/classrooms where different problems are discussed humanely, professionally, and ethically. These corners and groups have been functionalized within the project “Violence Free Schools”, which is financially supported by the European Union Office in Kosovo in partnership with UNICEF Kosovo and is implemented by the Kosovo Education Centre - KEC.
The teacher of the German language, Bekim Saramati, coordinates the work of the Peer Mediation Group at the “Ibrahim Fehmiu” school.
‘This group currently consists of 20 students, 1 student for each class the 6-9 grades cycle. This group consists of students who have more energy, and maybe they are often the cause of the problems. We can see that their behavior is changing for the better. They communicate with each other and thus the mediation between both parties becomes more effective', teacher Bekim points out.
Mediation is a structured and voluntary process with prescribed practices that guide an impartial third party, the mediator, in his or her conduct. In the school context, students and teachers act as mediators to resolve conflicts between students, but also between them and teachers, school principals and parents. Peer mediation groups enable meetings between parents and teachers and with the presence of the student where necessary.
When Shqiptar Thaçi – school principal, assumed the position, in the summer of 2023, the group was already established. “Previously, the problems at schools were revealed in front of 30 other students. Now, through peer mediation groups we enable privacy, confidentiality between the parents, the students and the teachers, and this practice is obviously yielding its successes”.
Even the Deputy School Principal, Hadije Thaçi, tells us that a Peer Mediation Groups have been established for the first grade to the fifth-grade students. “Through the project, I have assigned a teacher who is able to identify issues in the classroom that may arise between children of the younger age. There can be conflicts, although much less often, but even at that age we want to mediate as early as possible” - she says.
While all parties involved are highlighting the importance of peer mediation groups and its effects in the school settings, Genci* listens carefully to statement and discussions of his friends. As a former member of the Peer Mediation Group, and understanding its power, he continues to raise issues of peer violence and continues to help for minor conflicts and ambiguities disappear altogether.
UNICEF continues to support efforts to strengthen systems that protect children most at risk of violence and abuse. UNICEF works with institutions, schools, teachers, families, children, and young people to prevent and respond to violence in schools.
*Genci is a fictitious name. The real name of the character in the text is known to UNICEF Kosovo.
