Managing Student Conflicts

Resolve or Report is a strategy that gives students the option of resolving the issue themselves or requesting that an adult sit with them while they each take a turn reporting their story. The adult may assist them in resolving the issue. Providing choice and involving students in resolving their own problems can immediately de-escalate behavior and decrease incidents in the future.

Resolve or Report is a strategy for students who are having quarrels or disagreements. The RESOLVE strategy gives students an option to privately resolve the issue with rules for turn taking and listening. The RESOLVE portion helps them to see each other’s perspective often making it easier to solve the disagreement themselves. The REPORT option allows students to request help resolving the issue by REPORTING their perspective of the story and having assistance from an adult.

• Child's Age: 6-10, 11-13, 14-17
• Planning Effort: Low
• Difficulty Level: Easy

None

1. When students have an argument or antagonistic issue occurring, pull them aside.

2. Give the students a choice of privately discussing what happened with each other in order to RESOLVE the issue or choose to REPORT each side of the story to an adult who will help them resolve the issue.

3. If the students choose to RESOLVE themselves, give them privacy away from other students but with an adult close by but not interfering. Tell students the rule is they must take turns and listen without interrupting while each tells their perspective. They can each have a set number of turns to talk and respond then RESOLVE.

4. If the students choose to REPORT with an adult, allow each student to tell their perspective in the presence of an adult who will then give the students options to resolve the issue.