Information sheet
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Whole school community |
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Building a safe and supportive school and preventing bullying |
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Provide opportunities through the curriculum for the diversity of students (and staff) to develop relevant knowledge and skills in positive communication |
Conflict resolution aims to create a win-win situation for everyone involved. By shifting attention away from those involved and onto the problem, creative problem solving can happen.
Conflict resolution skills empower, prepare and support students and staff to deal successfully with conflict situations at school, at home and in later life. The range of skills includes listening, negotiation, assertiveness, problem solving and reflecting.
Conflict resolution skills can be taught on an individual basis. More effectively they can be introduced, developed and reinforced as ongoing components of the all-curriculum areas. A critically focused curriculum, which is informed by understandings of the role of power in relationships, can expand opportunities for all groups to explore their personal and social needs within a climate of respect and valuing of difference.
A cluster of primary and secondary schools in an outer urban area initiated a 'learners for life' project that puts conflict resolution into practice in order to improve behaviour management, communication and relationships and student learning outcomes. The project is now supported by 70 schools.
The approach includes staff development and student and parent programs. On-site staff training and regular across-school courses train staff to better manage their own behaviour to effectively manage students. Courses teach staff to help students develop responsibility, to effectively address bullying, to address difficult behaviour, to better manage stress and anger and to teach students to do so. Secondary students now provide much of the training for teachers, teach skills to primary student leaders and share their vision with local community groups and institutions through workshops, presentations and the development of a CD-ROM resource about bullying in schools.
'Bullying and Victimisation in Schools: A Restorative Justice Approach',
Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 219
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi219.html
Morrison, Brenda (2002)
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
This 6 page paper, available for downloading from the Australian Institute of Criminology website, reports on a restorative justice program that was run in a Year 5 primary school classroom in the ACT. Restorative justice is a type of conflict resolution that assists in repairing harm following a serious incident. Here, the principles are used to structure an early intervention program for the whole class, and to highlight the importance of schools in fostering care and respect for difference.
Conflict Resolution Network
http://www.crnhq.org/index.html
A website and network focused on building more peaceful and socially just organisations and communities. The network provides resources to support conflict resolution skills, strategies and attitudes at interpersonal and whole school levels. A number of these can be freely reproduced from the website, including a non-adversarial formal debate into a 'conflict-resolving' activity.
Conflict resolution skills for the school community. Inservice Trainers Manual
Cornelius, Helena; Gorham, Gail; Spencer, Rita; Faire, Shoshana; Hall, Sonya (1992) (Second Edition)
Chatswood, NSW: Conflict Resolution Network
Provides the process, activities and materials for a 2 day workshop on conflict resolution for teachers, school administrators and parents.
Early violence prevention: tools for teachers of young children
Slaby, Ronald G (1995)
NAEYC publication no. 325
Washington D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children
Practical ways to help preschool and kindergarten children develop assertive and nonviolent problem solving skills. Provides teachers with effective teaching strategies for early violence prevention. Topics include: physical environment and program factors; cooperative activities; addressing conflict and violence in real life; countering aggressive behaviour patterns; fostering social problem-solving skills; and enhancing perspective taking and empathy.
Gender Dimensions: Constructing interpersonal skills in the classroom
Wilson, J., Allard, A. (1995)
Carlton, Victoria: Curriculum Corporation
A 136 page resource that offers practical strategies to help teachers develop a positive learning environment where boys and girls work together with mutual understanding and respect.
Reducing school violence through conflict resolution
Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1995)
Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Practical approaches and student activities for teaching constructive conflict resolution skills to reduce violence in schools. Includes a number of interrelated aspects including the development of cooperative learning environments where students learn to negotiate and mediate peer conflicts.
A 136 page resource that offers practical strategies to help teachers develop a positive learning environment where boys and girls work together with mutual understanding and respect.
Reducing school violence through conflict resolution
Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1995)
Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Practical approaches and student activities for teaching constructive conflict resolution skills to reduce violence in schools. Includes a number of interrelated aspects including the development of cooperative learning environments where students learn to negotiate and mediate peer conflicts.
