Conflict Resolution Education - National Criminal Justice Reference ...

After 1 year of operation, the program reported
the following middle school results: office referrals
were reduced from 384 to 67, suspensions
for disruptive behavior were reduced from 54
to 14, and fights were reduced from 52 to 9. The
disputes were usually mediated during lunch
break, with the average mediation lasting 22
minutes. As a result of the program’s success,
the Lawyers Adopt-a-School Program is being
replicated in sites across the country. 18
Further research and evaluation of conflict resolution
education programs are needed for comprehensive
identification of the strengths and weaknesses
of program elements and strategies. Research should
address cultural issues and developmentally appropriate
practices for conflict resolution education.
The body of research on conflict resolution education
is expected to grow along these lines. This type
of information will be invaluable to program administrators
and practitioners. The findings will help
strengthen the adoption and implementation of conflict
resolution education and foster sustained support
in schools, youth-serving organizations, and
community and juvenile justice settings. In addition,
data from future studies may illuminate lessons
learned from successful use of conflict resolution
skills by young people in all aspects of their lives.
Implications of Research on Risk
Factors and Resilience
Research on social development indirectly supports
the value of conflict resolution education, particularly
for at-risk youth. Some youth whose social
and economic circumstances place them at risk
for violent or self-destructive behavior are able
to avoid outcomes such as dropping out of school,
using drugs, getting pregnant, or participating in
gang activities. These youth have been identified
as possessing “resilience” derived from factors such
as a sense of belonging, the ability to communicate
effectively, flexibility, and good problem-solving
skills. Resilience has been defined as “the ability
to overcome the effects of [a] high-risk environment
and to develop social competence despite
exposure to severe stress.” 19 Resilient youth are
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able to overcome risk factors such as inadequate
bonding or caring, low expectations, a negative
school climate, academic failure, and economic or
social deprivation. Table 3 lists the characteristics
found in resilient children.
“Mom, can I tell you something? I’m worried.
All of the boys I grew up with are dead. I lie
awake at night and think about it. What am
I supposed to do?” The question was from
a thirteen-year-old boy in New Orleans and
caused his mother to realize that, of a group
of six-year-olds who started school together
seven years earlier, only her son was still
living. All the others had met violent deaths. 20
Risk Factors for Violent and Antisocial
Behavior
In their work on social development, Catalano
and Hawkins have identified four major categories
of risk factors that consistently predict delinquent
or antisocial behavior among youth. Figure 6 lists
these risk factors identified in longitudinal studies
as predictors of health and behavior problems. The
specific problems predicted by each risk factor are
checked in the figure. 21
Although the presence of these risk factors does
not guarantee violent or antisocial behavior in the
future, it increases the probability of such behavior.
Awareness of risk factors can alert teachers, counselors,
and others to the need for early intervention.
For example, bullying is an early indicator of lifelong
antisocial problems, so intervening at the preschool
and early elementary school levels is a logical
step to help prevent these outcomes.
Protective Factors
Protective factors are conditions or influences that
mitigate risk factors and promote resilience. On
the basis of the evidence concerning protective factors,
Hawkins, Doucek, and Lishner have formulated
a theory of social development that identifies