Is peer mediation an appropriate response to school bullying?
School bullying is a frequent problem with significant consequences. Peer mediation is sometimes proposed as a way to deal with bullying between students. Although there are some arguments that support its use, several scholars argue that peer mediation is unsuitable in the case of peer harassment, particularly for ethical reasons (linked to the power imbalance that characterizes bullying). In this study, we reviewed studies assessing the effectiveness of peer mediation in responding to or preventing cases of bullying. It appears that there is no conclusive evidence supporting the effectiveness of peer mediation to tackle bullying. When looking at the effectiveness of peer mediation in general, the results are more positive. However, the implementation of these programs can be challenging, and the most significant effects are mainly observed among students who play the role of mediator, whereas they are generally those who least need to beneficiate from them.