Pedagogical Framework for Training Social Workers as Mediators in Civil Proceedings: A Trauma-Informed and Digitally Responsible Approach
Keywords:
mediation, civil justice, social work education, trauma-informed pedagogy, digital mediation, professional competenceAbstract
The integration of mediation into civil justice in Ukraine raises an educational problem that cannot be resolved by legal regulation alone: institutions must prepare practitioners who can conduct a structured, confidential and neutral process while working with conflict, stress, digital communication and professional boundaries. This conceptual article develops a pedagogical framework for preparing social work students for a later professional pathway into mediation. The study combines doctrinal analysis of the Law of Ukraine "On Mediation", analysis of the national higher-education standard for Social Work, European mediation-training guidance, and a targeted synthesis of literature on mediation education, trauma-informed social work and online dispute resolution. No survey, experiment, interview or other human-participant research is reported. The proposed framework contains five competency domains: legal-procedural literacy; neutral facilitative communication; trauma-informed process management; self-regulation and professional resilience; and digital mediation and data ethics. A two-level implementation model is proposed: degree-embedded preparatory learning within social work education, followed by statutory basic mediator training that meets the requirements of Ukrainian law. The framework emphasises role differentiation because social workers’ helping and advocacy functions do not automatically coincide with the mediator’s duty of neutrality and party self-determination. It also treats digital competence as a professional and governance requirement, encompassing confidentiality, platform security, informed consent, accessibility and responsible use of AI-assisted tools. The article argues that sustainable mediation reform depends on educational capacity, quality assurance and ethically governed digital practice as much as on the existence of mediation legislation.
Downloads
References
Barsky, A. E. (2016). The ethics of app-assisted family mediation. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 34(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21168
Barsky, A. E. (2017). Conflict resolution for the helping professions (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Carello, J., & Butler, L. D. (2015). Practicing what we teach: Trauma-informed educational practice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35(3), 262–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2015.1030059
Cole, S. F., O’Brien, J. G., Gadd, M. G., Ristuccia, J., Wallace, D. L., & Gregory, M. (2013). Helping traumatized children learn: Creating and advocating for trauma-sensitive schools. Massachusetts Advocates for Children.
European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice. (2019). Guidelines on designing and monitoring mediation training schemes (CEPEJ(2019)8). Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/guidelines-on-designing-and-monitoring-mediation-training-schemes-en/1680ac4908
European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2008). Directive 2008/52/EC of 21 May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters. Official Journal of the European Union, L 136, 3–8. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/52/oj
European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2016). Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation). Official Journal of the European Union, L 119, 1–88. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
Grant, L., & Kinman, G. (2014). Developing resilience for social work practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Katsh, E., & Rabinovich-Einy, O. (2017). Digital justice: Technology and the Internet of disputes. Oxford University Press.
Law of Ukraine “On Mediation” [Zakon Ukrainy “Pro mediatsiiu”] of November 16, 2021, No. 1875-IX. (2021). Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy, (7), Art. 51. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1875-20#Text
Levenson, J. (2017). Trauma-informed social work practice. Social Work, 62(2), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swx001
Livingstone, S., & Third, A. (2017). Children and young people’s rights in the digital age: An emerging agenda. New Media & Society, 19(5), 657–670. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816686318
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. (2019). Standard of higher education for speciality 231 “Social Work” for the first (bachelor’s) level of higher education (Order No. 557, April 24, 2019). https://mon.gov.ua/npa/pro-zatverdzhennya-standartu-vishoyi-osviti-za-specialnistyu-231-socialna-robota-dlya-pershogo-bakalavrskogo-rivnya-vishoyi-osviti
Moore, C. W. (2014). The mediation process: Practical strategies for resolving conflict (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Payne, M. (2020). Modern social work theory (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Sourdin, T. (2020). Alternative dispute resolution (4th ed.). Thomson Reuters.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
Walsh, S. (2019). Setting out across the sea of monsters: Bringing learning design into mediator training. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 37(1), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21255
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kateryna Dmytrenko (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All papers are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Authors retain copyright and grant ESS Press the right of first publication.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.
