The willingness to solve conflicts without violence and to strive for a reconciliation of interests is of central significance for the continued existence of democracies. In this paper, we aim to analyze school-related determinants of adolescents' conflict behaviour. Models predicting the conflict styles of "integrating",…

For the past 15 years, zero-tolerance policies for violence in schools have been the driving force behind many school discipline policies around the country. But the disciplinary landscape is starting to change in a growing number of schools, especially those in urban districts, where administrators have taken their cues from high-profile reports…

Increasingly, children who learn good conflict-management skills find themselves negotiating with kids who would rather fight--even over minor matters like cutting into line, taking a pencil, or touching a classmate's desk. A Pittsburgh teacher has worked to create a physically and emotionally safe classroom and devised a Students Against Violence…

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…

This paper presents the view that prevailing resentment against new immigrants and other ethnic minorities has clarified for many educators the need for teaching all students skills to resolve conflicts and reduce violence in schools. The paper advocates that peace education be integrated with multicultural education as a way for students to learn…

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…

Three action research projects were conducted with the intention of creating peaceful learning environments in Canadian schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The first project focused on social skills development, especially conflict management, for elementary school students in a rural New Brunswick school. Staff used Washington state's…

To help combat the effects of violence on children and improve the quality and nature of play, early childhood teachers can: define violence by helping children become aware of the issue, help children resolve their own conflicts, create a peace place in the classroom, intervene when violent play occurs, evaluate media and toys, and educate…

Presents conflict resolution and mediation techniques used to resolve conflicts among rival gangs at Washington Middle School, an inner-city school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Discusses formal mediation techniques and mediation for both male and female gang members. Focuses on preserving self-respect and dignity for gang members in all conflict…

Discusses ways to cultivate a more peaceful and respectful atmosphere in schools by incorporating developmental, preventive, and multicultural theories into the school environment. Three components are reviewed: (1) traditional conflict resolution learning strategies; (2) curriculum-based efforts designed to help students acquire the life skills…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention for increasing prosocial behaviors while decreasing inappropriate behaviors among elementary school children. The targeted population consisted of elementary school students in both lower- and upper-middle-class communities located in central Illinois. The problem of poor…

Based on the latest knowledge about early violence prevention and effective teaching strategies, this book describes practical ways for early childhood educators to handle children's aggression and shows how to help children become assertive, nonviolent problem solvers. The book's repertoire of proven approaches includes teaching children how to…

Summarizes 11 ERIC documents and journal articles on teaching conflict resolution to students, particularly students in the middle grades. Includes discussions of conflict among students and strategies for dealing with violence in schools, descriptions of conflict resolution programs and projects implemented in schools, and an analysis of the…

Intended for teachers, this book is a compilation of articles on effectively creating and maintaining an interactive classroom, one in which the teacher uses a wide repertoire of teaching strategies, organizational tools, problem-solving techniques, and consensus building methods. Section 1 discusses improving schools and schooling's role in…

This research project implemented and evaluated a program in interpersonal skill development designed to increase the use of applied social skills at a middle school located in northeast Illinois. Evidence of inappropriate interpersonal skills was gathered by using observation checklists, teacher and student surveys, and discipline referrals.…