Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution with Secondary Students The HIPP Program

Charlene Alexander, Brittanie Mosbaugh, Xiaochun Zhu, Brittney Williams, Shannon Doody,Heather Powell and James Taylor (J.T.)

AGENDA

•Need for Conflict Resolution Programing•Data on youth and conflict in US and

Indiana•The HIPP program•Sample HIPP agenda•Development of HIPP program

Youth and Conflict

• Conflict resolution has been identified as a precursor to adult violence and has been linked with poor academic performance.

• Those who experience violence in schools can form unhealthy expectations for dating relationships and interpersonal relationships in general. 

• Conflict management programs were developed in schools out of concerns regarding the juvenile justice system and public school systems (The Department of Justice)

Youth and Conflict

According to the The Annie E. Casey Foundation (2011)

▫60, 500 youth were confined in correctional facilities or other residential programs (The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2011)

▫25, 000 youth are held in detention centers daily awaiting court trials.

▫American’s youth custody rate was 336 for every 100, 000.

▫This number is 5 times the rate as the next highest nation which is South Africa with 69 per 100, 000.

Youth and Conflict

Youth and Conflict

Indiana • Four youth incarcerated at the Plainfield

Juvenile correctional facility suffered broken jaws in a 7 month period from 2003-2004.

• Over 90% of out of school suspensions were accounted for by infractions in the categories Disruptive Behavior and Other.

• Indiana ranked first in the nation in it’s school expulsion and eight in out of school suspensions (The Children Left Behind Project: The Indiana Youth Project).

• Schools with higher rates of out-of-school suspension have lower average passing rates on ISTEP.

Indiana Department of Correction2011 Juvenile Recidivism Rate 36.7%

•1,216 releases- 446 returns (205 as a juvenile, 241 as an adult)

•Nearly 82% of juveniles who recidivated were returned to IDOC for the commission of a new crime

•Approximately 43.8% of African American juvenile offenders returned to the Department of Correction, a higher rate than any other race or ethnicity.

HIPP- Peace Learning Center Indianapolis•The training implemented at this center is

based on the work of Johnson and Johnson (1996) and is known as Help Increase the Peace Process (Program) (HIPP).

•HIPP has the following goals and objectives for students who complete the program:

HIPP

• Try to resolve conflicts by looking for what we have in common

• Reach for that something in others that tries to be positive.

• Listen and try to understand where the other person is coming from before making up my mind.

• Be truthful. Try to find the truth; no position based on lies can last.

• Be ready to change my position if I discover it is not fair.

• Being clear about what I want gives me the power to act in a courageous and positive way.

• Help build community based on honesty, respect and caring.

HIPP

• I will not always be able to ward off danger. If I cannot avoid risk, I’ll try to risk being creative rather than violent.

• Surprise and humor may help change the situation and the attitude and behavior of the people in the conflict.

• Learn to trust my inner sense of when to act and when to withdraw.

• Find ways to overcome injustice.• Be patient and persistent in solutions to

injustice.

Peace Learning Center

•Location:▫6040 Delong Road  Indianapolis, IN 46254,

United States•Phone:

▫(317) 327-7144•Website:

▫http://www.peacelearningcenter.org

HIPP Data• One program with 42 girls completing – the group’s

grade point average was 1.07 (D average grade) before the program and 3.3 (B average grade) after completing the program – participants increased two grade levels.

• Prior to completing the program, the 42 girls had a total of 108 “JCR Violations” major sanctions for threatening and intimidating, theft, possession, overt physical an sexual behavior, and other extreme negative actions. After completing the program, of the entire group - only 9 girls committed a total of 23 JCR violations – an 81% decline in serious negative behaviors

HIPP Data• Of the 42 girls, 13 are still at IJCF attending school and

either earning high school credits or preparing for the GED exam. One student did not return to school or achieve her GED due to a diagnosed medical condition.

• Of the remaining 28 girls who have been released, 12 have reenrolled in an Indiana high school and 8 have earned their GED for a total of 20 out of 28 which is 71% while the IDOC averages around 35% for reenrollment or GED.

• In terms of recidivism, out of the 29 girls who have completed PLP and have been released in the past one and a half years, 27 have not returned to incarceration. That is 93 % non-recidivism for Peace Learning Program graduates. The two girls that returned were found guilty of parole violations.

HIPP AGENDAActivity Leader

Hip Connection Brittanie Mosbaugh

Agenda and Rules Vickey Zhu

Hip Lift #1, Pattern Ball Brittney Williams

Core Activity #1What is Violence/Nonviolence?

Shannon Doody

Hip Lift #2, Big Wind Blows Heather Powell

Core Activity #2Conflict Escalator

Dr. Charlene Alexander

Evaluation & Hip Closing Dr. Charlene Alexander

HIPP

•Contact for HIPP Manual •Miafere Jones @ MJones@afsc.org