Impacto de la mediación comunitaria como aporte a la seguridad ciudadana del Ecuador

Abstract

This research focuses on community mediation to understand how it contributes to strengthening citizen security in Ecuador. The research arises from the idea that many neighborhood, family, and community conflicts, if not addressed in time, can scale and end in acts of violence that affect coexistence within society. Therefore, community mediation is analyzed as a tool aimed at prevention, pacification, and restoration. The research was developed using a qualitative approach, supported by bibliographic and documentary review, and interviews with mediators, lawyers, and police personnel. Among the findings, it was found that community mediation is useful for addressing local and everyday conflicts, such as boundary disputes, noise, small debts, tenancy issues, and family tensions, since it allows for faster responses, lower costs, and better possibilities of restoring social relationships. However, the study also revealed several important limitations, including limited dissemination among citizens, weak institutional coordination, lack of specialized training for mediators, and the scarce territorial presence of mediation centers. Accordingly, the study proposes strengthening its regulation, expanding public awareness efforts, improving training, and better integrating this mechanism with public policies on citizen security.