Conflict Resolution It’s easier than you think!

Sarah Golembiewski – University of Pittsburgh An Overview of Research, Techniques and Strategies to Aid Teachers in Handling Difficult Situations Conflict ResolutionIt’s easier than you think!

Learner Objectives Participants in this seminar will be able to: • Identify techniques to address conflict in schools • Utilize in-school and out-of-school resources to teach students how to deal with conflict • Identify personal biases that may interfere in dealing with the conflict of others © 2008 S.GolembiewskiUniv of Pittsburgh

The Study Guide • Your study guide is a mostly complete version of this presentation. Your job – Fill in the blanks! • Anytime you see this symbol ∞on a slide, refer to the activity section of your handout. © 2008 S.GolembiewskiUniv of Pittsburgh

A Case Study “I had a case in which a very judgmental girl picked on a child with a whole host of deficiencies from low IQ to slow processing time to short stature to messy eating habits to poor social skills. The second girl modeled her behavior after the first and dished it right back, but her feelings were crushed after every insult, she cried and tattled even though she was chronologically old for this behavior. That infuriated the first girl, who would then turn it on even worse and add threats of violence if her victim told the teacher this time. The second child would then use the very names she had been called (retard, lame, stupid, dummy, gross) and they'd escalate to shouting in class. It got very disruptive. We couldn't come right out and say to the first girl, "Listen, girl B has handicaps." Girl A would not let it go, just kept on and kept on and started thinking it was her right to tell off Girl B. They had THREE classes together and the principal refused to change either's schedule until we had tried to work out the problem through conflict resolution and mediation.” – From a Middle School Guidance Counselor ∞ © 2008 S.GolembiewskiUniv of Pittsburgh

What is Conflict? • Non-agreement between parties • Usually starts as a minor rule infraction, but can escalate into a major rule infraction • Verbal or physical © 2008 S.GolembiewskiUniv of Pittsburgh

Rate of Conflict Occurrence • The “frequency and severity of conflicts (in schools) seem to be increasing…’fighting, violence and gangs’ are tied with ‘lack of discipline’ for the biggest problems in public schools”.1 • Exact numbers are school specific • Over 8,000 conflict resolution programs exist today as a result ! 1 (Johnson & Johnson, 1996, Conflict Resolution, p. 459)

Glossary • Peer Mediation – method of conflict resolution where either a teacher or a trained student mediates a situation between two or more students using approved techniques. • ODR – Office Disciplinary Referral

How We Identify the Problem • By ODR counts • Pay special notice to any spikes in numbers • In certain classes, times, locations

Related Problems Students who have problems at home, unstable family situations and those who are accumulating other school violations are at risk to have conflict with peers and teachers. Conflict can happen with any student – from the valedictorian to the captain of the football team to the quiet student who never makes waves. Some children internalize their emotions. When the emotional bottle reaches the top, it can spill over. Other children use conflict as their means to deal with things that do not agree with their understanding.

Strategies The next slides tell what needs to be thought about while working with students before and during a conflict.

Don’t Forget about your own –isms! Racism, sexism, homophobia, sense of power and other biases influence how you handle a situation. Remember that your students have their own set of –isms too! 1 1(Prutzman & Johnson, 1997) Photo by BSK www.sxc.hu

Utilize Peer Mediation Programs Already in Place at Your School Image by Valeer Vandenbosch www.sxc.hu

Be In It For The LONG HAUL! Image by Michal Zacharzewski www.sxc.hu Change is not like FedEx – It does not come overnight! Do the training, Live the training! Work in teams to implement the new strategies!

Work WITH Your Students The success rate will be higher when the student feels that he is being heard. Image by Steve Knight – www.sxc.hu

So What? • The following slides give you a step by step procedure for working through a conflict situation between students. • This technique was developed by the School Mediation Associates. (Used with permission of www.schoolmediation.com) Don’t forget the strategies!

Avoid: • Singling out the students among their peers if possible. • Passing judgment about a conflict between students before getting the whole story. • Thinking that conflict is always bad. • Focusing only on the negative. Image by Jyn Meyer – www.sxc.hu

∞ Now It’s Your Turn! Read the longer case study and DO NOT TURN THE PAGE. Discuss in your group what you would do in this situation.

School Mediation Associates: http://www.schoolmediation.com New Jersey State Bar Foundation: http://www.njsbf.com/njsbf/student/conflictres/middle_high.cfm University of Colorado at Boulder: http://www.crinfo.org/menu/education.jsp Educators for Social Responsibility: http://www.esrnational.org Internet Resources © 2008 S.GolembiewskiUniv of Pittsburgh

References • Johnson, David W, & Johnson, Roger T (1996). Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in elementary and secondary schools: A review of the research. Review of Educational Research. 66, 459-506. • Prutzman, Priscilla, & Johnson, Judith (1997). Bias awareness and multiple perspectives: Essential aspects of conflict resolution. Theory Into Practice. 36 No. 1, 26-31. • School Mediation Associates (2008). Peer mediation from school mediation associates. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from School Mediation Associates Web site: www.schoolmediation.com • Slides of technique were used with permission of www.schoolmediation.com

Contact information • Sarah Golembiewski • sarahag@gmail.com • Feel free to contact with any questions, concerns or ideas!

Conflict Resolution It’s easier than you think!