Date of Award

Spring 2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Sociology & Criminal Justice

Program/Concentration

Applied Sociology

Committee Director

Judi Caron-Sheppard

Committee Member

William Agyei

Committee Member

Ingrid Whitaker

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.S62 T48 2007

Abstract

During the recent years, countless incidents regarding school violence have captured the attention of many, and have disrupted the lives of numerous young students in the United States. In an effort to rebuild a healthier and safer school climate in America schools, many studies have been conducted on peer mediation programs. Peer mediation programs were developed to educate students on how to resolve conflicts constructively.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the implementation of a peer mediation program called Project S.T.O.P (Students Teaching Options for Peace) could reduce school violence and students' aggressive behaviors and attitudes. To investigate these effects, data were collected from four New York Middle schools, totaling 2252 respondents. Data were collected at four different occasions resulting in two indexes: aggressive behavior and aggressive attitudes. The indexes allow each measurement to be analyzed and compared, more specifically, the 1st and 4th measurements.

Results revealed that during the implementation of the Project S.T.O.P program, students' behaviors and attitudes at the conclusion of the program (4th measurement) did decrease from the baseline measurement at the beginning of the program. Also consistent with the study's hypothesis, students' aggressive attitudes were correlated with their aggressive behaviors. In addition, there were reductions in students' aggressive behaviors and attitudes between the 1st and 4th measurements. These finding indicates that peer mediation programs should be considered when attempting to promote a safer school environment.

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DOI

10.25777/jc4f-xy43

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