NCJ Number
138326
Date Published
1990
Length
158 pages
Annotation
A new approach to reducing conflict and tension in juvenile treatment facilities centers on the role of conflict managers, young people who have been trained to mediate day-to-day conflicts among their peers. This manual is based on the experiences of conflict manager programs initiated at three California juvenile ranches; it is targeted at juvenile justice professionals including ranch supervisors, probation officers, counselors, and juvenile court judges.
Abstract
The first section of the manual, composed of five chapters, covers program implementation. Specific chapters describe how a conflict manager program works, the ways in which at-risk youth benefit from the experience of serving as conflict manager, and a list of criteria to determine whether a particular facility would benefit from this type of program. The steps for beginning a conflict manager program, and ways to sustain the program are outlined. The second section, containing three chapters, deals with training. Basic information about conflict and communication helps trainers prepare their presentations. Another chapter offers a general approach to training, discusses specific training techniques, and covers special issues that arise in training at-risk youth. An agenda for conflict manager training is annotated to explain the purpose of each activity and the procedures for conducting that activity. 4 appendixes