The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” M. Proust, In search of Lost Time
ERASMUS+ Cre@t1ve Conflict Resolution and Peer-to-Peer School Mediation QUESTIONNAIRE The first methodological step was the construction of an attitude questionnaire that was able to analyze and measure attitudes towards conflict and mediation in general and especially in relation to aspects involving the more "social" dimension within the school environment. We have therefore tried to investigate the attitudes of young people towards the mediation of conflicts, its usefulness, its role within a path of growth and more generally with regard to the acquisition of citizenship skills. Some variables (age, gender) and psychological variables (beliefs about conflict, individual strategies, conceptions about the relationship between conflict and mediation) have been studied and investigated. The present work has set as its first objective the identification of the modalities and types according to which attitudes are structured in relation to conflict and the role of mediation in young students of the Italian, Polish and Maltese training system. Analysis of the results Introduction To make reading and understanding of the results obtained easier, quantitative data are described below separately for each area surveyed through the questionnaire. Thus, the different items will be discussed within 4 corresponding areas and the conceptual scales of belonging: - a section of the population and then data relating to the composition of the sample - a section relating to conceptions and attitudes on conflict - a section relating to beliefs, expectations and attitudes regarding the role of mediation and specific competences considered important for a mediator in the management of conflicts - the attitudes related to the role of mediation for the cultural relationship with the realities one belongs to and with the "foreign" ones (Citizenship and Constitution).
Characteristics of the Sample In relation to the sex variable (Tab. 1) 76% of the students who have replied to the questionnaire are females and 18% males, 6% preferred not to answer. With regard to the age, 67% of the subjects are included in a range from 15 to 17 years (data reported in Tb. 2 and Fig. 1). Tb. 1 Question No. 1: Sample distribution by sex variable Gender
Frequency
Percentage
Female
63
76
Male
15
18
Prefer not to say
5
6
Tb. 2 Question No. 2: Sample distribution by age Age
Frequency
Percentage
14
1
1
15
22
27
16
25
30
17
8
10
18
11
13
OVER 18
16
19
Fig.1
Position and attitudes on conflict Here are the results obtained from those items of the questionnaire that investigate attitudes regarding conflict as well as opinions and evaluations related to the specific management of the same. Most students recognize conflict as an opportunity to grow, and changing relationships without breaking them off. As many as 58% of students agree or agree that conflict helps us to grow. For details see Figure 2. Only a rather low percentage (10%) disagrees with the statement (not at all agree).
Fig. 2
There is very clear agreement on the statement "in a conflict it is important to know how to manage your emotions" (Figure 3). This result shows how it is important for young people to know how to live their emotions inside a conflict, understand, analyze and observe them, and of course manage them.
Fig. 3
From the answers obtained to the item "Living conflicts helps a better understanding of themselves" more than half of the students (55%) agree or even completely agree (20%). Only 5% disagree.
Fig. 4
This attitude is also confirmed by the statement that "knowing how to manage conflicts improves your relationships". In fact, as many as 42% of the students completely agree. If we also consider the answers of those who agree, the percentage rises to 74%. Almost all of the sample shows agreement (see Fig.5) only a small percentage (8%) disagrees or not completely agrees.
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
From Figure 6 we can see that as many as 35% of the students agree that during a conflict they have to accept the differences of other people, only 11% disagree with the statement (of which 4 disagree and 7 not particularly agree) So as many as 91% of the people are in favour of the statement (agree, fairly agree or completely agree). As for the items with "inverted polarity", they were excellent indicators because they show us that those who answered the questionnaire read the questions well and avoided response biases. To the claim that conflicts are negative, only 13% of the students agree, while 49% of them say they disagree with this statement (43% not completely agree and 6% disagree). (Fig. 6) This figure is exactly in line with the analysis so far in which it is highlighted how the students consider conflict as a possible positive moment of growth.
Fig.7
The percentages of those who disagree with the statement that "conflict must always be avoided" increase to 24%. The opinions of young people are undoubtedly negative with regard to this statement (65% do not agree).
Fig.8
As for the use of a grumpy language as a useful mode of communication during a conflict, as many as 73% of the students do not agree (42% disagree and 31% not completely agree) (Fig. 9) Fig. 9
Fig. 10
In this aerogram we can see that the vast majority of the students disagree or disagree completely with the statement "I never think about how I respond during conflicts" while we have only a small section of the students who agrees completely (6%). From here we can see how important it is for young people to reflect on the communication used during conflicts.
Role of mediation
Fig. 1
This aerogram shows that most of the students in Italy, Malta and Poland confirm the validity of mediation as a means of resolving conflicts. 87% agree ( 41% completely agree, 30% agree and 16% almost agree). Only a minority, 9%, does not exactly agree and 1% does not agree at all.
Fig. 2
In addition, the majority of the students agrees (41%) that not everyone can be a mediator, another good percentage of them agree (30%) and 16% almost agree. Only a remaining 10% say they do not completely agree and 3% disagree. From the analysis of these data we can deduce that the students who participated in
the research agree on the importance of mediation in conflict management and on the significant and not improvised role played by the mediator. In fact, according to the students interviewed through a path of development of empathic abilities (for example, to communicate honestly Fig. 3, to be able to listen Fig. 4, to be empathetic Fig. 5, to communicate in a respectful way Fig. 6, to consider everyone’s opinion Fig. 7, to understand other people’s thoughts Fig. 8, to identify the parties’ strengths and weaknesses Fig.9), the mediator is able to promote an increase in well-being. Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
The students also think that it is very important that the mediator knows how to focus on the goal (42%), only 7% say that it is not particularly important and no one considers it not important (0%).
The ability of the mediator to "enable others to explain their positions" is very important for 45% of students. (Fig. 10) Fig. 10
Also in this section the "inverted polarity" questions allowed us to validate the answers given. 47% say that it is absolutely not important that the mediator is able to "criticise others" whereas only 7% of the students say that the mediator must "show indifference and lack of commitment". (Fig.11-12)
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
To the statement "Promoting the exploration of the needs of the parties to resolve the conflict " almost all the students, 98%, maintain that this competence is important (32% quite important, 41% important and 25% very important). (fig. 13) Fig. 13
Regarding the figure of the mediator the collected data tell us that most of the students claim that their "mates would be good mediators" (31%) Fig. 14 Only a small part of the students agree that only adults can be mediators in a conflict (5%). 46% disagree. Fig. 15
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Citizenship and Constitution We analyze below the last area we investigated: the one relating to citizenship and constitution. A first clear result of our survey shows the importance young people attach to the ability to learn to manage conflicts as a skill that will make us better European citizens. 50% of the students say that they fully agree with the statement that "Learning to resolve conflicts positively will make us better European citizens". (Fig. 1)
Fig. 1
There is clear agreement on the statement "To create a better society we must learn to mediate conflicts". (Fig.2)
Fig. 2
The answers to the item "Being able to handle conflicts makes you able to respect others" show that the students agree with the statement. (Fig. 3)
Fig. 3
This analysis shows that the school becomes the place where different points of view meet and clash; a place where it is possible to meet the stranger, that is someone other than oneself. Conflicts take place as an opportunity to reorganize relationships, a time to better understand oneself and to open up to others. All of the considerations that emerged give the sense and the measure of the importance of the role of mediation and mediators in school. All the young people examined state that a conflict can be an opportunity for growth and the usefulness of the presence of mediators (mates) in the management of conflicts, that is of people trained and able to be active and proactive in the management of conflicts among peers. From our point of view, we are aware of the complexity of the reality within which the relationships that animate school life develop, but the data underline a shared image of mediation as an instrument of dialogue and interpersonal exchange that can lead to rethinking relationships, an effective educational process.