Implementing the "Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers Program"

Abstract

The Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers Programtrains every student in a school in the competenciesthey need to (a) resolve conflictsconstructively and (b) make their schools safe placesin which to learn. The program is directly basedon the theory and research on constructive conflictresolution. More than 16 studies in 2 differentcountries have been conducted on the program'seffectiveness. The evidence indicates that withouttraining, children and adolescents tend to managetheir conflicts in destructive ways. When giventraining, however, they learn how to engage inintegrative negotiations and how to mediate theirschoolmates' conflicts. They maintain their abilityto do so months after the training has ended. Theyapply the learned procedures to actual conflicts inthe classroom, school, and family settings. Learningthe negotiation and mediation procedures canbe integrated with academic learning in a way thatenhances subject matter understanding.