The rush to establish conflict resolution strategies in the schools has created a maze of programs based on a number of models. By themselves, these programs are not sufficient to promote peace among youth, since they do not transcend the interpersonal level to consider the involvement of groups of students, the community, and families. Resolving…

The seeming increase of violence in American society and its schools has become a pressing issue. Some researchers argue that the American education system mirrors the dynamics of society. The articles in this book address the following issues: the extent of violence in American schools; the forms that violence takes; its root causes; the effects…

Although Switzerland is a small country, it has a highly diverse population, and with that diversity has come the potential for violence in the schools. In the last 2 or 3 years, school violence has become a major issue in Swiss education. This paper involves an intervention undertaken by specially trained school psychologists to reduce violence…

This theme issue focuses on programs and strategies aimed at developing crime-free, nonviolent, drug-free schools. "Alternative Education Programs: Resolution or Exclusion?" (Albert Cortez) describes alternative education programs mandated by Texas state legislation for serious student offenders, and related issues of assessment, due…

This publication features articles on prevention of school violence and focuses upon promising practices that reflect practical approaches to positive behavioral interventions. Directed at both regular and special education students, these articles feature prosocial skills for improving student responsibility and discipline, effective parenting…

This article discusses a project that investigated a student-based problem-solving model for reducing crime in the nation's schools. A quasi-experimental research design was employed that captured data in three waves from more than 450 students attending 11th grade social studies classes in two schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Public Schools…

This book addresses the growing concern of bullying and violence by offering updated strategies for developing social skills, resolving conflicts, and intervening in bullying situations. Providing techniques for immediate implementation in both elementary and secondary classrooms, this resource includes: explanations of the relationships between…

A 16-month evaluation sponsored by the National Institute of Justice compared the separate and combined impact of two New York City middle school violence prevention programs from February 1993 to June 1994. Project Schools Teaching Options for Peace (S.T.O.P.), a traditional conflict resolution program with a curriculum and peer mediation was…

The United States is a violent nation. This report reviews current school, community, and mass media strategies; describes promising programs now in operation; and offers recommendations for how police and other criminal justice professionals can get involved. By introducing the basic concepts and strategies of violence prevention, the report…

This two part curriculum includes a student's guide and a teacher's guide designed to help upper-elementary and middle school students better understand violence and work to prevent it in the schools and community. Developing violence prevention plans will help students express their ideas about solutions to violence and will help students examine…

This conflict mediation program resolves disputes non-violently using teams of two student mediators and a set of formal procedures. These methods improve communication, define issues, and develop alternative paths to resolution. The goals of the program are the prevention of violence, the improvement of human relations, and the building of more…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Mentor/Advisor Project, a program designed to promote positive self-concept and school success for high school students at risk of or experiencing emotional and behavioral disabilities in rural Vermont. The Project involved small groups of heterogeneous students (i.e., those with and…

A practicum project was developed and implemented to reduce the incidents of aggressive behavior and impulsive actions among kindergarten students by means of win-win situations for conflict resolution. The objectives for the program were to achieve: (1) a 25 percent decrease of impulsive and aggressive behavior; (2) 50 percent of the target group…

This paper presents a programmatic strategy to address unresolved student-student disagreements. The paper examines cultural norms--within training programs in academic settings--that contribute to interpersonal problems among students. It describes the following norms as related to some stated principles for negotiating diversity: (1) program…

Second Step, a research-based violence prevention program for kindergarten through middle school aged children, was implemented in several Jefferson County Public Schools. The objective of Second Step is to increase children's ability to identify with how others are feeling, take others' perspectives, and respond empathetically while decreasing…