5_conflict resolution 6-8

Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict - alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence. —Dorothy Thompson Conflict Resolution: Restorative Circles At Home Resources Level: Middle School (6-8) Concepts: • Active ListeningBig Ideas For This Lesson • Conflict Resolution • Restorative ApproachesRestorative Approaches (RA) is a conflict resolution style that is used widely in schools, justice systems, andmany cultures worldwide. If you are unfamiliar with Restorative Approaches, the concept is fairly simple:identify the harm that has been done and then establish a way to repair this harm. Conflict resolution focus-es on methods and processes to facilitate the peaceful ending of conflict. While similar to conflict resolution,restorative approaches go further than just ending the conflict and gives priority to repairing the harm done.Restorative approaches, then, provide a framework for making, maintaining, and repairing relationships whilefostering a sense of social responsibility and shared accountability by way of asking restorative questions.The Restorative Questions are:1. What actually happened?2. Who has been harmed?3. Who is responsible for what?4. How can we fix it?Restorative Circles are used in classroom and community setting as a tool to help build community, solveproblems and conflicts, communicate with each other, and to help us live up to our values. Essential VocabularyAgreements: A term used specifically in Restorative Approaches that refers to mutually established and agreed upon guidelines for groupdiscussions and restorative processes. If there is no consensus about a proposed agreement, it is not an agreement, and it is the responsibility ofeach member of the circle to be mindful of this fact. Maintaining the agreements is everyone’s responsibility.Community: A group of people who share one or more things in common, such as: location, interests, needs, values, purpose, identity, beliefs, orresources.Community Building Circles: A proactive type of group discussion used in Restorative Approaches that focuses on providing participants withopportunities to get to know each other better, enhance relationships, and strengthen a sense of connection and belonging to the group.Conflict: Any situation in which there is no clear solution. A disagreement or argument.Consequences: The result(s), or outcome, of an action, thought, or event. Consequences may be easy (agreeable outcome), hard (disagreeableoutcome), or neutral (neither agreeable nor disagreeable outcome).External Conflict: A situation involving two or more people in which there is no clear solution. A disagreement or argument between two or morepeople.Harm: Damage resulting from a conflict. Harm can take many forms, including, but not limited to: emotional, physical, monetary, social, andacademic.Internal Conflict: A situation involving only one person in which there is no clear solution (e.g. a difficult decision, negative self-talk). A persistentpattern of thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that causes harm to oneself and is difficult to change.Larger Conflicts: Disagreements between groups, organizations, or countries that involve a large number of people (e.g., gangs, politics, war).Mediator: A person who helps others solve conflicts.Responsibility: Taking ownership of any intentional or unintentional action contributing to a conflict or causing harm. Responsibility may alsoinclude any actions not taken that result in harm or conflict. (e.g. failing to meet expectations, missing a deadline, not standing up for a friend).Restorative Circles: A type of group discussion that uses the Restorative Questions and intentional dialogue to respond to harm and conflict.© 2018 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 1 of 2 All rights reserved.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION | GRADES 6-8 PracticeThe ‘talking stick’, also called a speaker’s staff, is a tool used in many cultures to facilitate active listening ingroups. The talking stick may be passed around a group, and only the person with the stick in hand speaks,while the others listen with full attention. Pick one topic to discuss as a family, and choose an item to be your‘talking stick’. The first person has two minutes to speak, while the other people practice active listening. Thenswitch. The stick/object may be passed around as many times as needed.How was your ability to listen affected by the use of the talking stick? Was it easier or harder to listen? Tospeak? Did you feel that others were actively listening to you? Would you use this method again? Student Resources• The Big Book for Peace by Ann Durell and Marilyn Sachs (Grades 2 – 6)• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Grades 8 – 10)• The Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac (Grades 5 – 8)• One Thousand Paper Cranes: The Story of Sadako and the Children’s Peace Statue by Ishii Takayuki (Grades 5 – 8)• The Kids’ Guide to Working Out Conflicts: How to Keep Cool, Stay Safe, and Get Along (Book) by Naomi Drew (Grades 5+) Adult Resources• A Leader’s Guide to The Kids’ Guide to Working Out Conflicts (Book) by Naomi Drew (Grades 5+)• Communication and Conflict: Promoting Mindful Communication Growth Through Conflict (Website Re sources)• Nine Ways to Help Siblings Get Along Better (Blog) by Hank Pellissier• The Little Book of Restorative Justice: Revised and Updated (Book) by Howard Zehr © 2018 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 2 of 2 All rights reserved.