Social justice has recently received attention within the school psychology community. Yet, social justice is a nebulous term, as opined by Connelly (2009), who cautioned against searching for what is wrong and instead striving for the highest standards and recognizing needs of every unique child. Shriberg and colleagues (2008) have sought to…

This paper explicates the implications of my research on conflict management for self improvement and for practitioners who work to improve the conflict management of others. I also note how my experiences with practitioners have informed my research.

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

Discussion of workplace conflict management examines erroneous assumptions inherent in traditional reaction patterns, considers key elements of planning for conflict prevention, and some workplace strategies to help minimize conflicts. Several approaches to conflict management, and their outcomes, are highlighted, and stages of the…

Peer mediation is one of hundreds of programs schools are using to enhance security or prevent violence. The Winning Against Violent Environments (WAVE) conflict-resolution program in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the oldest in the country. Lists seven sources of information. (MLF)

Targeted to special education teachers, this article discusses why students fight and presents strategies for preventing fights among students, including: implementing rules, rewards, and consequences; providing effective instruction; providing a safe and attractive classroom environment; and heeding early warning signs. Strategies for managing…

Noting that peaceable classrooms grow out of understanding how children develop ideas about peace, conflict, and violence, this guide is intended to help early childhood educators create a classroom where preschool through grade 3 children learn peaceful alternatives to the violent behaviors modeled for them in society. The guide is based on the…

This manual presents an operational approach for teachers for dealing with classroom conflict. The first section discusses the dynamics of conflict including factors responsible for conflict such as differing value systems, individuals in conflict with authority, peer group disagreement, and turnover of students. The second section discusses…

Since June 1999, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Secret Service have been working as a team to better understand--and ultimately help prevent--school shootings in America. Findings indicated that incidents of targeted violence in school were rarely impulsive; that the students who perpetrated attacks usually planned them out in…

In 1997, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation requiring local school boards to conduct school safety audits for each school under their jurisdiction. Guidelines for helping educators conduct these audits are presented here. This guide is designed to help administrators chart an informed, responsible, and proactive course toward…

This module presents a curriculum on violence prevention for middle school students. It begins with a discussion of what violence is. The second lesson helps students to examine the portrayal of violence in various media. In the third lesson, students examine their own anger and their own tendencies toward violence. The fourth lesson examines the…

This directory provides a representative sampling of programs that offer training in prejudice reduction, conflict resolution, and violence prevention to young people in their schools and communities and to the people who work with them. Project profiles include the following information categories: (1) the organization's name, address, telephone,…

Discusses behavior management of confrontational situations in the classroom, including prevention, defusion, and follow-up. Strategies for defusion are suggested, such as focusing on the task rather than the attention-getting behavior, presenting options privately, reducing agitation, preteaching and presenting choices to establish limits, and…

Tips for successful parent-teacher conferences concerning children with special needs focus on preventing a conflict cycle and developing a cooperation cycle. Specific suggestions to reduce stress levels and involve parents positively are offered for preconference behaviors, conference behaviors, and postconference behaviors. (DB)

This booklet is intended to help parents and teacher activists think critically about the problem of violence in their schools and about how to respond. The booklet offers a framework for analyzing violence prevention programs that may already be in place in the schools, and it provides ideas for improving programs or starting new ones. The…