U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Cooperation, Conflict Resolution, and School Violence: A Systems Approach

NCJ Number
186044
Author(s)
Peter T. Coleman; Morton Deutsch
Date Published
2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This brief presents the assumptions underlying school-based violence prevention programs that are based on cooperation and conflict resolution and describes specific program components that schools can implement.
Abstract
The approach of the Columbia University Teachers College International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution rests on seven assumptions related to the causes and prevention of violence. Among the assumptions are that violence is a function of the interplay between personal and social factors, that conflict is a naturally occurring phenomenon with both constructive and destructive potential, and that students should face conflict rather than avoid it. Using a systems perspective can promote change in the culture of school systems at the disciplinary, curricular, pedagogical, and cultural levels. Schools’ interventions at these levels involve both students and adults and promote empowerment, positive social interdependence, nonviolence, and social justice. Specific programs include peer mediation programs, conflict resolution training, cooperative learning and constructive controversy as teaching strategies, and collaborative training for adults in the school and community. 23 references