NCJ Number
170997
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
As the year 2000 approaches, children face an increasing likelihood of involvement in violence, both as victims and as perpetrators, and working to reduce violence should be at the top of the educational agenda.
Abstract
Children need to be taught ethical and moral values that emphasize respect and concern for others and need to learn emotional and social skills that will help them understand and control their potentially disruptive emotions and manage conflict. The Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) is regarded as one of the most promising school violence prevention programs in operation. The program began in 1985 in New York City and is based on the simply idea that people should listen to each other and work toward a peaceful solution when a problem occurs. The RCCP curriculum focuses on diversity and conflict resolution and aims to change the total school environment to create a nonviolent community. The RCCP's comprehensive approach includes a K-12 classroom curriculum, a student-led mediation program, professional training and technical assistance and support for teachers, parent training, and school administrator training. The K-12 curriculum stresses the modeling of nonviolent alternatives for dealing with conflict, teaches negotiation and other conflict resolution skills, and demonstrates to students they can play a powerful role in creating a more peaceful world. The student mediation program provides a strong peer model for nonviolent conflict resolution and reinforces student skills in working out their own problems. The RCCP uses both formal training sessions and one-on-one consultation with teachers, school administrators are taught conflict resolution concepts and skills, and parent involvement is encouraged. 13 notes