Confronting a complex problem

In a massive study of violence, the National Research Council concluded:

"Full understanding of the causes of violence will not be achieved in the foreseeable future, but that understanding is not necessary in order to make progress in reducing violence. A successful intervention at just one point in a long causal chain can prevent some events or reduce their consequences."

We know that violence has always been a part of the human condition. Now social scientists are coming to believe that while conflict is inevitable among people, aggression or violence need not be. While people have learned to respond to conflict with aggression, they can just as well be taught to respond with constructive methods of problem solving and negotiation.

Introducing conflict resolution into the classroom

The cornerstone of most approaches to conflict resolution is communication skills which, like other social skills, can improve with practice. Good communication prevents conflict from escalating to a destructive level. Role-play exercises work well for teaching students how to actively listen and to use "I" messages, two skills that promote understanding and win-win solutions.

Dealing with the bullying problem

One strategy to consider involves not only addressing aggressive behavior by bullies, but also the behavior of victims and bystanders. Changing habits of thought is an approach that empowers students to change the way they automatically respond to conflict. A curriculum called Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders discourages youngsters from responding aggressively to threats, but encourages potential victims to react assertively and bystanders to act responsibly.

Fitting violence prevention into the curriculum

A number of conflict resolution strategies can be integrated easily into existing curricula. One example is academic controversy, a strategy that helps students learn to appreciate others' perspectives. Academic controversy is a formal approach to examining all sides of an issue or idea and can be used in the study of almost any subject. Pairs of students take turns presenting opposing arguments. Then they switch sides. It works like a debate, but ultimately each group must arrive at a consensus.

Understanding the effects of media violence

According to an American Psychological Association study, there are four major effects of watching media violence:

1. Increased aggressiveness and anti-social behavior.
2. Increased fear of becoming a victim.
3. Increased desensitization to violence and victims of violence.
4. Increased appetite for more violence in entertainment and real life.

One way to mitigate the effects of media violence is to help youngsters develop media literacy. With skills to analyze and "deconstruct" what they see, students can make responsible choices as media consumers and advocate for constructive change.

Raising bias awareness

Raising bias awareness is a strategy teachers can use to challenge their students to confront their own values, behavior, and responses to racism and cruelty. Facing History and Ourselves is one example of a curriculum with this goal. The program focuses on the Holocaust to help students understand that history develops incrementally, shaped by individual and collective choices and decisions. As they explore complex questions of human motivation and behavior, they must face the question: "What would I have done?"

Resolving conflict through mediation

Mediation is a process of working out disputes with the aid of an impartial third party -- a mediator. Research has shown that resolutions reached through mediation are more satisfactory, and more likely to hold up over time, than resolutions imposed through formal disciplinary procedures.

In a growing number of schools, teams of trained peer mediators act as facilitators, guiding the disputants through a communication and problem- solving process to arrive at an agreement that is acceptable to both parties. Some schools even use mediation to settle disputes between students and teachers, using a student-teacher team of mediators.

If mediation is not successful or does not hold up, discipline takes over.

Disputes involving weapons, drugs, or violence are not appropriate for referral to mediation.

Addressing the gang problem

Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield, MA, is one example of a school that has successfully used a variety of approaches to deal with gangs, including a strict behavior code, bias awareness, and mediation. In addition, community service learning has become an integral part of school life. More structured than volunteerism, community service learning is a form of experiential education that calls for students to use problem-solving skills to address community needs. As youngsters at Putnam recognized that they have much to contribute, their self-esteem increased as did their commitment to school. As a result, discipline problems declined significantly.

Fostering concern about global issues of conflict

The Model U.N. program is a simulation designed to help students learn through experience about international conflict and diplomacy. Playing the roles of UN delegates, students grapple with issues confronting the General Assembly and Security Council. In the process of trying to reach a consensus, they use research, writing, communication, and negotiation skills.