The Children's Hearings Project (CHP) in Cambridge, Mass., uses mediation in family conflicts involving rebellious and truant adolescents. This 2-year study focused on a qualitative understanding of the mediation process through the experiences of the families of 51 juveniles who used mediation. Most families participated in a single mediation hearing, which typically included two private sessions with the juvenile and two with the parents and siblings. The mediation process is fundamentally the negotiation of concrete details of daily family life. Its goal is a contract between the parties, mutually constructed, and voluntarily enforced. Followup interviews 6-9 months after mediation indicate that some families have changed the way they view one another and their methods for dealing with conflict. Eighty-four percent of the families reached agreements. Almost two-third of those who reached agreements reported that it helped the overall family situation and that it was wholly or partially working. The general conclusion drawn from this study of CHP is that local mediation practices are variable and are shaped by the nature of the problems they confront and by the ideology and goals of the founders and staff. 3 notes and 10 references.