Group Counseling for

Conflict Resolution
Cindy Hoang and Annie Yu
Needs Assessment

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Based on your answers...

Link: Click me!

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Agenda
▷ What is Conflict Resolution?
▷ Why Small Groups?
▷ Preparing for Small Groups
▷ Data Collection
▷ Small Groups for:
○ Elementary School
○ Secondary School
▷ Activities

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 What is
conflict resolution?

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What is conflict?
Conflict is defined as oppositions or
disagreements from both participants
in a situation.

Types of conflict:
● Physical aggression
● Relational aggression
● Playground disputes
● Social conflicts

(Davis & McCoy, 2016) 6

What is conflict resolution?
Strategies designed to build constructive behaviors
and facilitate resolution of interpersonal conflicts.

Conflict resolution programs are designed to be

preventative. It can be a part of the school-wide
curriculum or small groups.

What is taught?
● Conflict is a natural part of life
● Develop a sense of awareness of unique responses
● Understand the diversity with which others respond
● Learn and practice social skills and problem-solving skills
○ Independently and Cooperation

(Garner, 2008) 7
 Why does it matter?
▷ Victims of peer violence have a tendency to
have lower levels self-esteem and
self-responsibility, may be anxious,
oversensitive, insecure, and quiet

▷ Aggressive behavior in childhood predicts

later delinquency, substance abuse,
depression, and school dropout

▷ Research suggests that conflict resolution

programs not only increase students’
constructive conflict resolution skills but
also reduce their aggression and violence (Akgun, 2014)
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How is it being handled in
schools?
▷ Telling a teacher

▷ Sending to principal office

▷ “They’re just being kids” “He’ll get over it” “The

real world is rough”

▷ Bullying lessons

▷ Physical altercations
(Gibbons, 2010)
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23.6%
of high school students had been in a physical fight on school
property one or more times during the 12 months before the
survey.

6.7%
of students had not gone to school at least 1 day during the 30
days before the survey because they felt they would be unsafe at
school or on their way to or from school.

(Kann et al., 2018) 10

 ASCA Position Statement

“
“To promote this type of environment, comprehensive school
counseling programs promote the inclusion of
anti-bullying/harassment and violence-prevention programs,
schoolwide positive behavior interventions and support, along
with comprehensive conflict-resolution programs to foster a
positive school climate.”

(American School Counseling Association, 2016)

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Why should we utilize a
small group format?

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 How does conflict
resolution fit into small
groups?

▷ The practice of circle justice brings together a group of

people from the community that cares about the
person and has a vested interest in the outcome of the
dispute. The purpose is to heal rather than to punish.

▷ The Circle Justice group answered developmental

needs through a structure that focused on strengths
and offered projective identities while giving the
students a measure of control
(Gibbons, 2010)
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 More benefits of group!
▷ Empathy

▷ Equal Opportunity

▷ Friendship

▷ Trust

▷ Resilience

(Gibbons, 2010)
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Preparing for
Small Groups

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What do I need to start?
▷ Needs Assessment (formal, informal)

▷ Consent form (written, passive)

▷ Group by grade level

▷ Space for a group

▷ Communication with teachers

(Sink, 2012)
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Data Collection

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What should we collect?
▷ Needs assessment

▷ Process Data
○ What, where, who, when,
how often

▷ Perception Data
○ Pre/Post-Test
■ ASK: Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge

▷ Outcome Data
○ Suspension, expulsion, and/or drop-out rates
(Hatch, 2014)
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Elementary
School
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Elementary School Groups
▷ Typically small groups of 2-4 students
▷ Same grade level or one grade difference
▷ 30 minutes or less
▷ Flexible scheduling

Benefits:
▷ Great way to schedule students
▷ Play interaction
▷ Learning from other students
▷ Student modeling

(Gibbons, 2010)
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Elementary School: Techniques
▷ Students can use symbolic or pictorial space to
express the concepts discussed each week

▷ Group rituals and role plays

▷ Bibliotherapy

▷ Tracking feelings and offering suggestions in

response role plays/scenarios

(Gibbons, 2010)
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Elementary School: Activities
▷ “Touching Spirit Bear” - Ben Mikaelson

▷ Conflict Role Plays

▷ Art therapy - Mandalas/

Totem Poles

(Gibbons, 2010)
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 Elementary School:
(Johnson & Johnson, 2004)

Published Curricula
▷ Johnson and his colleagues examined the effect of
Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers program (1991)
and found that trained students were more likely to
negotiate and less likely to go to the teacher than
untrained students.

▷ Elementary Evidence Based Program:

❖ Second-Step
❖ Teachtown
❖ ReadingRockets

https://www.secondstep.org/ http://web.teachtown.com/ http://www.readingrockets.org/ 23

Secondary
School
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Secondary School Groups
▷ Group of 5-10 students

▷ Same grade level

▷ 45-50 minutes

▷ Coordinate with teachers

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Secondary School: Techniques
▷ Problem identification

▷ Avoid “dirty laundry”

▷ Peer mediation

▷ Appreciation for diversity

▷ Healthy self-expression

▷ Decision-making skills

▷ Active listening and effective communication

(Poyton, Carlson, Hopper, & Carey, 2006) 26

Secondary School: Activities
▷ Peer mediation
○ Involves a third party
○ “Cadre” vs “Total Student Body”
○ Fosters student responsibility for their action
○ Opportunity for independence

▷ Role play
○ Model appropriate ways to respond
○ Target behavior patterns
○ Teach and practice new skills

(Davis & McCoy, 2016)

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Secondary School: Activities
▷ Restorative Circles
○ Alternative to zero-tolerance policies
○ Safe space to repair harm through dialogue process
○ Goal is to promote
■ Understanding
■ Self-responsibility
■ Action
○ Purpose
■ Work out the problem at hand
■ Hold individuals accountable
■ Reintegrating the individual who has harmed
another back into the community

(Ortega, Lyubansky, Nettles, & Espelage, 2016)

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Secondary School:
Published Curricula
▷ Win-Win Resolutions
○ Bullying and violence prevention through conflict
resolution skills
○ C.R.E.W. - Conflict Resolution Enrichment Workshop

▷ Achieving Success Every Group Counseling Model

○ Focus on resilience and positive characteristics

▷ Basic Restorative Practices

○ International Institute for Restorative Practices

(Davis & McCoy, 2016; Graves, Frabutt, & Vigliano, 2007; International Institute for Restorative Practices, n.d.; Rose & Steen, 2014) 29
Additional Resources
CASEL
▷ PreK and Elementary
▷ Middle and High School

Peace Education
▷ Conflict Resolution PK-12

University of Florida
▷ Working Together to Resolve Conflict

Creating the Peaceable School: A Comprehensive

Program for Teaching Conflict Resolution : Program
Guide
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Activity
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(Bodine, 2002)
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(Conflict Resolution Activities for
Middle School Skill-Building, n.d.) 33
Common Strategies and
Considerations
▷ Teach students how to view conflict from the perception of
others

▷ Establish anger management component

▷ Consider age level, gender, and cultural background

▷ Role Play

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Thanks!
Any questions?
Contact Cindy Hoang
choang@chapman.edu
Information:
Annie Yu
anyu@chapman.edu

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References
Akgun, S. & Araz, A. (2014) The effects of conflict resolution education on conflict resolution skills, social competence, and aggression in Turkish elementary
school students, Journal of Peace Education, 11:1, 30-45

American School Counseling Association. 2016. The school counselor and the promotion of safe schools through conflict resolution and bullying/harassment
prevention. Retrieved April 14, 2019 from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_Bullying.pdf

Bodine, R. J., Crawford, D. K., & Schrumpf, F. (2002). Creating the peaceable school. a comprehensive program for teaching conflict resolution. Champaign, IL:
Research Press.

Conflict Resolution Activities for Middle School Skill-Building[PDF]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2019 from
https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.uoregon.edu/dist/8/11350/files/2015/05/Compiled-Activities-1-r5x71c.pdf

Davis, K. A., & McCoy, V. A. (2016). Strategies for conflict resolution among middle school students.

Garner, N. E. (2008). Conflict resolution programs in the schools (ACAPCD-19). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Gibbons, K. (2010). Circle Justice: A Creative Arts Approach to Conflict Resolution in the Classroom. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association,
27(2), 84–89.

Graves, K. N., Frabutt, J. M., & Vigliano, D. (2007). Teaching conflict resolution skills to middle and high school students through interactive drama and role play.
Journal of school violence, 6(4), 57-79.

Hatch, T. (2014). The use of data in school counseling: Hatching results for students, programs, and the profession. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a SAGE Company.

International Institute for Restorative Practices. (n.d.). Basic Restorative Practices. Retrieved from
https://www.iirp.edu/professional-development/basic-restorative-practices

Johnson, D. W. , & Johnson, R. T.. (2004). Implementing the “Teaching Students to Be Peacemakers Program.” Theory Into Practice, 43(1), 68.

Kann, L., McManus, T., Harris, W. A., Shanklin, S. L., Flint, K. H., Queen, B., Lowry, R., Chyen, D., Whittle, L., Thorton, J., Lim, C., Bradford, D., Yamakawa, Y., Leon, M.,
Brener, N., & Ethier, K. (2018). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2017. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 67(8), 1.
http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6708a1External

Poynton, T. A., Carlson, M. W., Hopper, J. A., & Carey, J. C. (2005). Evaluation of an Innovative Approach to Improving Middle School Students’ Academic
Achievement. Professional School Counseling, 9(3), 2156759X0500900309.

Ortega, L., Lyubansky, M., Nettles, S., & Espelage, D. L. (2016). Outcomes of a restorative circles program in a high school setting. Psychology of Violence, 6(3), 459.

Rose, J., & Steen, S. (2014). The achieving success everyday group counseling model: Fostering resiliency in middle school students. Professional School Counseling,
18(1), 28–37. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.5330/prsc.18.1.m07lu0hr6636j1t4

Sink, C. A., Edwards, C. N., & Eppler, C. (2012). School-based group counseling. Australia: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. 36
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