15th November 2024

Graham Boyack reflects on our recent event with John Sturrock KC and shares information on how the Scottish Mediation Network is supporting young people to develop effective questioning and listening skills

I was delighted to attend the David Hume Institute event in partnership with EICC Live on the important subject of asking effective questions. The Q&A led by Clare English brought John Sturrock’s presentation to real life. Clare in combination with the audience, asked John, a great series of questions about how to apply his work and discussed the difficulties they thought might be encountered.

One of the questions raised by the audience was how we equip the next generation with these skills.

I had an answer but as time was pressing on the event came to a close before I could let anyone know - so here is an update on what Scottish Mediation is doing to encourage the next generation to not only ask great questions but to have the skills to listen to the answers.

Young Talk in Schools

Since 2006 Scottish Mediation’s Young Talk programme has been training primary and secondary school students in how to be Peer Mediators.

To be a mediator, essential skills include the ability to listen effectively and have the ability to ask great questions.

Since 2021 through a collaboration with Our Minds Matter in Fife we have delivered this training to every primary school in fife and are currently completing training across all the secondary schools. The training we carry out however goes deeper, and specifically looks to equip young people in how to deal with the everyday conflicts that arise in their lives.

Within peer mediation training, there is a large focus on helping peer mediators to understand and articulate their own emotions and needs, and how they might be able to recognise the emotions and needs of the participants in conflict. While this increase in emotional intelligence is beneficial within peer mediation, it also enables peer mediators to better care for their own emotional wellbeing outside the peer mediation process.

Within peer mediation, the young people in conflict are asked to identify how certain things made them feel, and what they need in order to feel better about the situation. This allows them to increase their emotional intelligence, while also being able to acknowledge and empathise with the boundaries and needs of the person with whom they are in conflict.

Strengthening relationships

Peer mediation also improves mental and emotional wellbeing by providing a space for young people to re-engage in relationships when conflict has occurred.

Positive relationships are incredibly important for children and young people’s mental health. Research also shows that conflict, when not resolved well, can lead to relationship breakdown. However, when conflict is communicated well, and a resolution is found together, it can actually strengthen relationships.

Thus, by providing a space in which young people can work through conflict together, those in conflict are better able to maintain vital friendships, or cordial relationships, that respect each person’s needs.

This year we’ve taken this work to a number of schools in Scotland, including in Perth and Kinross with the support of the Gannochy Trust. If you’d like to find out more about it a report on our work in Fife is available here, you can also link to how this work relates to the latest Scottish Government work on how a public health approach to violence reduction here.

Further information

If you are interested to find out more about the Young Talk programme, we’d be delighted to speak to you. Call 0131 556 1221 or get in touch with us by emailing admin@scottishmediation.org.uk