Do Mediation Agreements Hold? Long-Term Effects in Neighbor Disputes

Abstract: Follow-up studies of mediation are rare but important. In this study, we present the long-term effects of mediation in housing conflicts. Building on interviews with 50 parties approximately one year after mediation, we explore parties’ perceptions of agreement compliance, relational change, and everyday coexistence. Preliminary findings suggest that many agreements are fully or partially upheld and that many parties seem more concerned with whether their overall living situation has improved and everyday coexistence has become more tolerable or peaceful, than whether there is strict compliance with every agreed provision. Furthermore, parties report mixed results regarding relational improvement. We will discuss the implications of our findings for theory and practice.

Keywords: Mediation, long-term, agreements