LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN MEDIATION

This article reports the results of a study of the antecedents of long -term success in community mediation. Seventy-three mediation sessions were recorded and content analyzed. The participants were interviewed at two points: immediately after mediation and 4 to 8 months later. N o relationship was found between the quality of the agreements - i.e., the extent to which they solved immediate problems - and long-term su ccess as measured by compliance, improved relations between the partie s, and the absence of new problems. On the other hand, joint problem s olving by the disputants was related to complainant perceptions of imp roved relations with the other party. Also respondent perceptions that the mediation had been fair and that all the problems had come out we re related to all aspects of long-term success in the eyes of the comp lainant. The latter results support a procedural justice analysis of m ediation and underline the importance of mediator attention to the res pondent.