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Early childhood researchers have found that children as young as pre-school age can be
taught to find peaceful, empathetic solutions to interpersonal conflict. The study team
evaluated four- and five-year olds in the Head Start program, an early learning initiative
which targets children living in poverty. These children, previously demonstrated to be
particularly likely to be exposed to family violence, were able to learn problem-solving
techniques that researchers believe may be of enduring value later in life.
Method
Sixty-four children from 11 classrooms in Head Start Centers participated. Six of their
teachers attended a seven-week college-level course on conflict resolution, peace
education, and emotional and social development. Teachers participated in lectures, role
plays, discussions and presentations. The children were assessed at four and five years of
age.
Results
Examiners found that preschoolers of trained teachers had more skills and were less likely
to use force in generating solutions to interpersonal problems. These children were able
to think of more ways to solve personal conflicts than the children whose teachers were
not trained and were not exposed to the conflict resolution curriculum.
Conclusion
The authors theorized that part of the change in the children was due to a change in the
attitudes, knowledge and behavior on the part of the teachers. In post-training
interviews, teachers were more likely to use dialogue that promoted healthy conflict
resolution strategies than before the training. Researchers believe that this effect
promoted a change in the classroom’s environment and teaching method, resulting in a
more complete approach to experiencing conflict resolution strategies. They suggested that
future studies should assess whether these changes in curriculum and strategies have a
lasting effect on children’s interactive behaviors.
Source: Journal of Research in Childhood Education; 12/22/2004; Jones, Nancy Aaron
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