Peer Mediation as a Viable Option for School Conflict Resolution Programs

Abstract

Albert Bandura (1977 )developed the Social Learning (SL) theory to explain that people learn how to act from each other. They learn through observation, mimicry, and modeling. To explain how adolescent aggression develops he coined the phrase “reciprocal determinism,”meaning a person’s environment affects his behavior and vice versa. Bandura’s theory helps to establish a baseline criterion for interpreting the development of adolescent conflict resolution skills. From the ages of 11 to 14, children begin the early transitional phase of childhood to adulthood. At this time, kids start to experiment with more vibrant forms of self-expression, contemplate different social perspectives, move towards independence as they make self-guided decisions, and regularly question established norms. This point in psychological development leaves children highly impressionable as they absorb the actions of their environment and subsequently use their behavior to alter the environment.