Parent-Child Mediation: Does It Have a Positive Effect on Family Functioning and Adolescent Problem Behavior?

Introduction:  Mediation is a voluntary method of dispute resolution in which a neutral third party assists individuals who are in conflict with each other in reaching a settlement.  The specific prevention goals of parent-child mediation are to enhance family functioning, keep the family intact (e.g., avoid foster care placement), and improve youth outcomes.  Parent-child mediation is often used as an alternative to such standard interventions as adjudication, probation, and counseling for dealing with major but resolvable conflicts involving at-risk youth, but there has been little rigorous evaluation of these programs.  This is the first randomized controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of parent-child mediation on family functioning and child problem behaviors.

Methods:  Families were referred by schools or other sources to a non-profit community organization providing parent-child mediation services due to the youth’s conduct problems.  Referred families were randomized to an intervention group that immediately received mediation (n=57) or a wait-list control group (n=45).  Families in the intervention group received up to 3 mediation sessions, depending on preference and need.  Parent and child completed surveys at baseline, 6-week follow-up, and 12-week follow-up.  Main outcomes included family functioning (e.g., communication, conflict, positive family relations) and child behavior (e.g., grades, substance use, delinquency).  Intervention families completed a satisfaction survey after each mediation session.  Retention at the 12-week follow-up was 76%.

Results:   Children were between the ages of 12-17 and predominantly Hispanic (67%).  Intervention and control families generally looked similar on baseline characteristics.  No significant group differences were found on the indicators of family functioning or child problem behavior at the 6-week and 12-week follow-ups, controlling for baseline scores.   However, plots of these effects indicated slight trends favoring the intervention group.  The majority of parents and children receiving mediation reported being “very satisfied” with the mediation session (parent: 93%; child: 63%), and rated the program in general as “excellent” (parent: 79%; child: 63%).  When asked whether they planned on using the skills they learned during the mediation session at home, the majority of parents (77%) and children (59%) indicated “definitely yes.” 

Conclusions:  Results suggest that parent-child mediation is a feasible and acceptable intervention approach for families of at-risk youth.  However, there is little evidence from this evaluation that it has a significant short-term effect on family functioning and child problem behaviors.