Safety of the Mediator’s Work – Pilot Studies

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the functioning of the mediator profession in various aspects of its effectiveness. This implies the need for research in all dimen-sions of his work. Much has been said about the mediation procedure, about the ways of conducting it, about ethics and even the desired qualities of a mediator, but it has not yet been examined whether his/her work is safe, and if not, what constitutes the greatest threat in it. The work of a mediator is distinguished not only by specific technical and organizational features, but also based on unique competences, skills and knowledge. The role of the mediator is to perform specific tasks that are characterized by high social usefulness, and his activity is primarily focused on working with peo-ple. The article describes the specificity of the mediator's profession and discusses the pilot studies carried out among professionally active mediators in Poland in terms of the safety of their work, in general and psychological aspects.