Conflict Resolution Education - National Criminal Justice Reference ...

Conflict resolution training must be comprehensive
to be effective in changing the way young people
respond to conflict. Therefore, school-based programs
need the reinforcement of community-based
programs whenever possible to help young people
see that conflict resolution measures can be implemented
at home and on the street as well as at
school. The social network in which youth live
and work often presents mixed messages about
how to deal proactively with conflict. For example,
if youth learn problem-solving processes in the
school environment and a competitive “winnertake-all”
approach at home or on the street, they
will resort to the method that is reinforced and
addresses their needs for safety and security.
A community-based program can resolve this dilemma
by building on conflict resolution training
in school and reinforcing it in other settings. Such a
community-based program offers a common vocabulary
and common values in the resolution of conflicts.
Community Buy-In and Implications for Replication.
Adequate funding and community support are
critical to a project of this type. A careful, systematic
approach that identifies unmet community needs
and builds cooperative support from the ground
up in existing programs is crucial. Some of the steps
taken to develop the Roxbury Conflict Resolution
Project may be useful in evaluating the potential for
similar programs elsewhere. The following steps
have proved essential to the program:
♦ Conducting a needs assessment for conflict
resolution training in the community.
♦ Developing a program that builds on existing
programs and fills gaps in conflict resolution
training.
♦ Creating and implementing a fundraising plan.
The Community Board Program
Community mediation programs throughout the
United States have been at the forefront of bringing
conflict resolution services and programming
to schools, families, and other youth settings. The
Community Board Program (CBP), an organization
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established in 1976 to provide neighborhood-based
mediation services, began work with San Francisco
schools in 1980 at the urging of the Program’s volunteer
mediators, many of whom were educators.
Over time, CBP has developed a whole-school approach
that focuses on introducing conflict resolution
concepts and skills to as many members of the
school community as possible—students, teachers,
staff, administrators, and parents. The goal is to
change individuals’ beliefs about conflict resolution
and to provide a system for dealing with conflict.
Our youth usually deal with violence by
reacting to it . . . or giving in to it. Conflict
resolution training gives them new choices
to deal with it positively. . . . This is exactly the
type of training we need in this community.
Director, Funderburg Youth Program
This whole-school implementation method corresponds
to the Community Board’s vision of a harmoniously
functioning school community that is
able to resolve conflicts, prevent violence, and create
a peaceful and equitable atmosphere conducive to
learning. 6
Because youth spend time in both schools and
communities, strong connections between the two
can benefit them in many ways. Resources can be
maximized and services to youth enhanced. When
schools and communities are more aware of each
other, young people in need of neighborhood-based
services receive more effective referrals. The following
examples illustrate the Community Board’s experience
in connecting whole-school and community
efforts.
Parental Involvement in Whole-School Work.
Parental involvement is an integral component
of the Community Board whole-school approach.
When students are encouraged and expected to use
conflict resolution skills for handling disputes at
school, they find it confusing and difficult to return
home to a completely different approach. CBP educators
express frustration when they hear a student