title: Establishing a framework of influential factors on empowering primary school students in peer mediation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Empowerment of children and adolescents in terms of social skills is critical for promoting their social health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study attempts to explore a framework of influential factors on empowering primary school students by means of peer mediation from the stakeholders' point of view, as a qualitative content analysis design.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a qualitative content analysis (conventional method). Seven focused group discussions and six in-depth interviews were conducted with schoolchildren, parents and education authorities. Following each interview, recordings were entered to an open code software and analyzed. Data collection was continued up to data saturation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the provided framework, the participants' views and comments were classified into two major categories "educational empowerment" and "social empowerment", and into two themes; "program" and "advocacy". The "program" theme included factors such as design and implementation, development, maintenance and improvement, and individual and social impact. The "advocacy" theme included factors such as social, emotional and physical support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The explained framework components regarding peer mediation are useful to design peace education programs and to empower school-age children in peer mediation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamideh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jorbozeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dehdari
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashoorkhani
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Taghdisi
keywords: Education; Empowerment; Mediation; Primary Schools; School Health