The Unconvincing Case For School-Based Conflict Resolution Programs For Adolescents

VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article by Webster was to argue that current school-based conflict resolution programs may not be effective at reducing interpersonal violence in America. Four reasons were used to support his argument: 1) lack of empirical evidence for the efficacy of school-based conflict resolution programs, 2) focusing on a single cause of violence may not result in decreasing the problem, 3) questionable assumptions guide conflict resolution programs, and 4) implementation of programs for political quick fix reasons distract the public from structural influences on youth violence rather than fix the problem. METHODOLOGY: A review of the literature was employed. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: Webster presented this argument in response to the recent implementation of thousands of conflict resolution programs in schools across the country and the consideration of some states to mandate such programs. The author discussed the effectiveness of conflict resolution programs. The first study found no significant changes in attitudes about violence, but found a decrease in the amount of fights that was not statistically significant. It was also noted that given the methodological limitations of this study (random assignment was not used when determining control or treatment groups), inferences based on this study should be made with caution. The second study of the Washington (DC) community Violence Prevention Program had similar results. This fifteen session curriculum was conducted by a trauma nurse, an emergency room technician, an attorney, and a former drug dealer who was partially paralyzed due to a gun shot would. Results of the program found a slight decrease in the condoning of the use of physical aggression and increase in the knowledge about the risk factors of violent behavior, but did not affect participants' attitudes about violence risk factors. A third study found improvement in all skills measured for the Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT) participants, compared to no change in the control group. However, due to methodological limitations (i.e., small sample size (n=37), missing data on more than half of the control group, statistical comparisons were not conducted, failure to control for out-of-school behavior, and a short follow-up period), inferences that can be made from these findings are limited. Despite the limitations, PACT employed several strategies that should not be discounted. They identified skills deficits and behavior problems in the targeted youth; provided an intense curriculum that included more sessions and smaller groups; utilized highly trained facilitators as opposed to school teachers to conduct the cognitive social skills training; culturally relevant videos were use; and they conducted training in small groups called "clubs." The author suggested that the lack of evidence supporting the efficacy of conflict resolution program was due to both inadequate evaluations and inadequacies in the programs. The author also included four other relevant findings. First, a study conducted on a school-based substance use prevention program, suggested that while the program showed initial promising effects, once the lessons stopped, so did the program's effect of drug use. Second, curricula that only provided information about the negative aspects of a behavior and used scare tactics were not effective in changing the behavior. Third, successful programs tended to provide long-term intense sessions and include a follow-up session. Lastly, solely relying on social skills training has generally been found to ineffective for high-risk youth. The author suggested that the following four premises that conflict resolution curricula were based on lacked empirical support: 1) Violent behavior is similar to other health behavior, and models of individual health behavior change can be readily applied to the problem of violence; 2) Violence prevention training needs of each student are similar enough that all would benefit from participation in a standardized program; 3) Adolescents who engage in violent behavior do so because of deficiencies in social information processing or other skills needed to solve social conflicts nonviolently; and 4) The most important social skill needed to reduce the risk of violence is how to negotiated onei way through conflicts. The author suggested that high risk youth may not agree that using conflict resolutions skills would result in a healthier or a safer environment. Violent youth tend to believe that carrying a gun protects them and makes them feel safer. Additionally, conflict resolution skills that are too general may not have the desired effects on the different types of violence offenders. The needs of chronic violent offenders differ from those who are only violent during adolescence. Further, it may be unrealistic to expect youth to use conflict resolutions skills that were briefly learned in a semester in an unexpected situation of social conflict. Well learned social norms may be more likely to be used. Moreover, attitudinal change encouraged by adults may be less effective during adolescence since peers are more influential than adults during the adolescent stage of development. Lastly, the author suggested that lower class conflicts over status and respect are less likely to be solved through non-violent negotiation. The author concluded by suggesting that pouring resources into a program that lacks convincing evidence of reducing violence may not be the most effective use of resources. AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: Four recommendations were provided. It was suggested that government agencies interested in reducing youth violence should fund long-term, rigorous evaluations of conflict resolution programs. Secondly, prevention programs and strategies should be developmentally and culturally appropriate. Third, interventions should be longer and more intense. Fourth, schools can prevent violence through other means such as adopting policies that reduce school failure, making schools smaller, and curtailing ability tracking and grade retention. Lastly, efforts should be made to reduce the availability of handguns. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - School Based KW - Conflict Resolution KW - Violence Prevention KW - Peer Conflict KW - Prevention Program KW - Program Effectiveness KW - Program Evaluation KW - Student Violence KW - Juvenile Offender KW - Juvenile Violence KW - Child Offender KW - Child Violence KW - Elementary School Student KW - Junior High School Student KW - Senior High School Student KW - Late Childhood KW - Late Adolescence KW - Early Adolescence KW - Middle Childhood KW - Professional Commentary Language: en