Conflict Management Through Mediation – I’m A Mom

Mediation is a strategy that serves to resolve conflicts in a positive way. Next, we’ll explain everything you need to know about this topic.

It is important that children know how to solve conflicting situations and face the problems of daily life without the need to use violence. Therefore, in this article, we will address the issue of conflict management through mediation.

This conflict resolution strategy helps to analyze, regulate and resolve problems peacefully, constructively and cooperatively. This is very beneficial for the social development of children, as, in this way, from the first years of life, they learn to live with others in a positive way.

Conflict management through mediation

According to the Doctor of Educational Sciences, Juan Carlos Torrego, mediation can be defined as:

Based on this definition, it can be said that such conflict resolution technique is characterized by the existence of:

• Willingness of the two sides that face each other.
• Willingness and effort on both sides to communicate, to understand each other and, ultimately, to reach agreements.
• Intervention of a person outside the conflict, who acts as a mediator.

The mediator performs the following functions:

• It controls the entire process, without making value judgments and without taking ultimate responsibility.

• It helps the parties to understand each other, negotiate and ultimately resolve the conflict.
• It helps the parties involved to identify and meet their interests and needs.
• It promotes a pleasant, calm and reliable atmosphere throughout the process.
• It helps the parties to express their opinions and deepen their ideas.
• It proposes ways to reach an agreement, looking for the best possible solution for both parties.

Thus, the two parties that are involved in the conflict will be obliged to participate and actively commit to the search for a solution to the problem, thus managing to overcome the problem in a healthy and diplomatic way.

Stages of the mediation process

To put the mediation strategy into practice, it is necessary to follow a series of phases. Such phases are presented below:

1. Briefly explain what mediation consists of and present the rules that must be followed.
2. Decide who gets to share their views on the problem.
   
3. Tell what happened: each party describes the situation of the conflict, as well as their thoughts and feelings about it. At this stage, the mediator has to:
   • Actively listen.
   • Make sure both parties are expressing themselves assertively.
   • Identify the most important aspects of the problem.
   • Record the points of agreement and confrontation.
4. Clarify the conflict: the mediator must ask the questions he/she considers pertinent in order to deepen and clarify the problem. At this stage, then, it is intended to reach a consensus on the conflict, which should gather the opinions of each of the parties.
5. Propose solutions: a brainstorm is held in which the two parties involved propose different ways to resolve the conflict.
6. Reaching an agreement: all proposals are evaluated, analyzing their advantages and disadvantages, with the aim of finding the most viable and beneficial solution for everyone.
7. Writing an agreement: a document is written in which it is clearly specified which solution was agreed upon, in such a way as to keep a record of the commitment of the two parties that faced each other.
8. Review the agreement periodically: finally, it is necessary to carry out an inspection and verify that what was established is being complied with.