Managing conflict

Managing conflict

Many people find situations of conflict difficult to deal with.

What helps reduce conflict? 

  • cooperation:  helping children learn to work together and trust, help, and share with each other. 
  • communication:  helping children learn to observe carefully, communicate well, and listen to each other. 
  • respect:  helping children learn to respect and enjoy people's differences and to understand prejudice and why it is wrong. 
  • expressing themselves positively:  helping children learn to express feelings, particularly anger, in ways that are not destructive, and learn self-control. 
  • conflict resolution:  helping children learn how to resolve a conflict by talking it through.    

Managing conflicts ­- basic principles 

  • You don't solve conflicts by sweeping them under the carpet. 
  • You don't solve conflicts by force. 

When you're managing conflicts between others 

  • Get the parties to talk in a structured way, one at a time,­ taking turns to speak and to listen. 
  • If appropriate, get both parties to take more distance on the situation by writing down how they see it. 
  • Get them to make suggestions for how to end the conflict. 
  • Treat it as a practical problem-solving exercise, rather than a moral lesson: 'What can we do to solve this?' rather than 'I want you to apologise right now'. 
  • Make sure that each person's proposal for resolving the conflict is put in clear practical terms, and that the other person has had a chance to indicate whether they agree to the proposal.    

Start quote
A conflict ends when each person has aired their views, and they have questioned each other enough to ensure that this airing has been properly achieved.
End quote
A conflict ends when each person has aired their views, and they have questioned each other enough to ensure that this airing has been properly achieved.

Have you tried a structured and practical approach to managing conflicts between others? What else would you add to the points above? How would you vary the points above for the situation in your class?

Help and support 
For further advice on this issue, ATL members can speak to their school rep, their branch secretary or their regional official. They can also call the London (020 7930 6441), Cardiff (029 2046 5000) or Belfast office (02890 327 990) or email info@atl.org.uk.

For out of hours enquiries, call the out of office hours helpline on 020 7782 1612 (Monday-Friday, 5-8pm during term time).

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