The Pupil Mediators – a documentary film about conflicts and peer mediation in primary schools

The Danish Centre of Educational Environment has published a campaign called USE THE CONFLICT, which is supposed to extend the knowledge and use of constructive conflict resolution and mediation in pri-mary schools. In connection with this campaign, DCUM has facilitated a film which documents peer media-tion as an initiative and development process and as an alternative to more rules and punishment in the school: "The Pupil Mediators - a documentary film about conflicts and peer mediation in schools". The film has been produced for DCUM by tvDOKfilm, 2006. Runtime: 52 minutes.

Target group: pupils from 5th grade and up, teachers, pedagogues, school management and school board, other staff, parents, and others with interest.

The film follows a series of pupils and teachers at Hjortespring Skole in Herlev during a period where the school decides to implement peer mediation after having worked with conflict resolution in the school’s social life for a long time. The film shows how peer mediation can be implemented, the pedagogic reflections and dilemmas, how the pupils are educated, selected and later function as peer mediators. Some of the peer mediators are followed in their work, and also some of the different conflicts and the way they are handled are followed. Finally, the film shows which conflicts arise in the school between pupils in the every day life and how the younger pupils search for and use the peer mediators.

"The Pupil Mediators" is meant as a film of inspiration and can be used differently. For instance, it can provide: 

• Ideas of how to handle the daily conflicts in a way where the pupils are heard, met and understood, and where the pupils themselves enter into dialog.
• Inspiration to how pupils can be educated in working as mediators towards over pupils at the school
• Inspiration to use the pupils and the daily conflicts as resources where the pupils learn a series of social comperences, for instance listening, ask questions about the problems without judging
• Insight, for instance by showing scenes from the film to the pupils - discuss what is happening, how the mediation is done, and how the pupils react. Facilitate exercises with pupils. Discuss the school’s conflict picture and the pupils’ own view of their school life.

See more at:

• www.brugkonflikten.dk
• www.dcum.dk

Here you can order the film and other campaign material.

Questions regarding the campaign Use the Conflict can be sent to Project Leader Karin M. Villumsen at villumsendcum [dot] dk