Research Information System
TURK PSIKOLOJI DERGISI, vol.22, no.59, pp.43-67, 2007 (SSCI)
Children have a tendency to resolve their conflicts by aggressive or submissive behaviors because they are not taught how to manage their conflicts constructively. The purpose of the study was to implement "We Can Resolve Our Conflicts" education program to elementary school students and to examine the effects of this program on students' conflict resolution skills, aggression levels, conduct problems, and peer victimizations. A hundred and sixty-six elementary school students participated in the study. A pretest-posttest control group design was used. The training classrooms received the training 2 times a week in 40 minute sessions over a 10 week-period. The conflict resolution training program included cooperation, empathy, anger management, and conflict resolution skills. To teach these skills, different activities, such as games, films, stories, photos, cartoons, role-play and class discussions were utilized Before and after the training both training and control groups were assessed in terms of their conflict resolution skills, aggression levels, conduct problems and peer victimization. Results indicated that the conflict resolution education increased students' constructive conflict resolution skills. However, trained students' aggression levels and conduct problems decreased in some grades.