Received: from MIT.MIT.EDU by po7.MIT.EDU (5.61/4.7) id AA01670; Thu, 6 Apr 95 12:15:41 EDT Received: from DMSMAC.MIT.EDU by MIT.EDU with SMTP id AA15127; Thu, 6 Apr 95 12:14:25 EDT Message-Id: <9504061614.AA15127@MIT.EDU> Date: Thu, 06 Apr 95 11:19:15 From: dms@MIT.EDU (Darlene Messmer-Slagle) To: mediating@MIT.EDU Subject: [carolorm@MIT.EDU (orme-johnson): [pdoshi@MIT.EDU: Re: ["Conflict Resolution Center Int'l" : Confidentiality Problem] ]] AMEN! to Mr. Doshi's message. I finally agree with one of these opinions. And before the issue of the kids probably not being there "totally" of their own free will (or the refusing to sign an agreement) is raised - I think that the violence is a stand alone issue. Darlene Messmer ------- Forwarded Message This is absolutely ridiculous...that the boy committed such acts of aggression towards a girl and the principal. On a side note, what is happening to our country, anyway? I think that we need to bring some discipline back into our schools. Since corporal punishment is out of the question, expulsion may be the alternative. Unfortunately, this is not a good solution either... the boy will end up on the streets, not having learned anything. In any case, the mediators SHOULD UNDOUBTEDLY testify to what they witnessed. In this case, it is simple...the mediation session had ended...so what if they were all still in the same room? But, in general, I don't believe that mediators should be held to such strigent rules of confidentiality. One of the ground rules of mediation (hopefully, set in the beginning of the session) is that there will be no physical acts of aggression by any party. If the parties are at mediation, they have willingly agreed to come there and uphold the ground rules. Let's say the boy got up in the middle of the session, pulled out a gun, and shot the other party. Would we even be thinking about this situation? Let's leave that type of confidentiality nonsense to lawyers, OK? We're mediators, volunteers. If there are any types of threats, agression, etc., regardless of whether it is physical, verbal, or otherwise, it is our civic duty to uphold the moral and actual code of law. Let me bring up another example...what if in the individual sessions the boy confided in the mediators that he was planning to kill the other party later that evening...would one sit there and brood over confidentiality? Of course not. Prashant Doshi '95