THS Students Combat Bullying with Mediation

While the state's anti-bullying law is a new development, already has a club in place to settle disputes.

Trumbull High School Crisis Intervention Specialist William Mecca and Associate to the Dean Dennis McLaughlin are co-advisers to the school's Peer Mediation and Peer Leader programs. There are also four student mentors who recently explained their role to the Board of Education.

They provide proactive education and discipline students when disagreements reach the boiling point.

Both groups are “extracurricular activities that proactively address the growing number of mandates in school discipline and safety and help strengthen a positive school culture.”

Forty students participate in the Peer Mediation club, 29 in Peer Leaders. All are 10th to 12th graders recommended by teachers and selected after an application and interview process. McLaughlin said they seek out students whose peers see them as leaders.

Once chosen, mediators complete up to 30 hours of training in resolving student to student conflicts. Leaders complete 14 hours of training in resolving physical, oral and cyber bullying provided by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith.

Student mediator Mike Ahearn described the process as “students solving student problems.” He said “students open up to students more readily than to administrators,” and added that mediators have made the school “a more peaceful place.”

Mediators assisted in 66 events last year. They find rapid resolution to be most effective, so mediators quickly identify the two primary actors. Then the offenders are brought together by an older mediator/mentor and a younger mentee who employ a five step process to talk the problem through and reach a win-win situation.

Peer Leaders was established to educate students against drug and alcohol use. Beginning this year they will educate fellow students about the new state bullying law by making anti-bullying presentations in classroom and assembly settings and by getting directly involved in resolving events of bullying behavior.

Peer Leader Joe Noory said, “Bullying is a problem because too many people are bystanders... our duty is to take a stand, spread the word and intervene.”

Katy Wykoff added that students should stand up for the one being bullied, even though it is “taking a risk.” She said it is “more important to make others feel better about themselves than to remain a bystander.”

Both programs have won awards. Peer Mediators was cited by the 2010 Governor's Prevention Partnership best Practices in School Climate Conference and Mediator of the Year by the Dispute Settlement Center in Wilton, among many others.

Peer Leaders was recognized by the Trumbull Rotary club and by the Bridgeport-based Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP).